The Surrogacy
by Bonnie Sveen Fan
Summary: Baby Nathan is only a few days old, but he's already involved in a custody battle between two Braxton families, who used to be close, but were now barely talking, all because of one small baby, who is wanted by both Bianca and Ricky, who will get the Braxton baby?
1. Chapter 1

**This is my new Home & Away story, it will have Brax and Ricky in, but for this, I have decided to focus on Heath and Bianca. I quite liked them and although, was not a watcher when they were in it, I liked the fact they left together, so they could be a family. **

**Set around the time when Rocco died, did not see when he died, but it looked incredibly sad :( but have watched a few clips on Youtube, so will watch some more clips of them, before I write them.**

 **Background for this story:**

 **Heath's one - night stand with Jess, didn't happen, so Harley doesn't exist.**

 **Brax and Ricky are married, have been for a few months, Brax isn't in jail, he was around for Ricky when she went in to labour, she had a baby boy Casey, named after Casey, who Jake shot dead.**

 **Heath and Bianca are still in The Bay, she is still principle of Summer Bay High School.**

 **I think that's all the background for this story that you guys need, if I think of anymore I'll let you know.**

 **Big thank you to waterlooroadfan2012, who gave me the title for this, I had one** **in mind but I didn't like it. Sorry, if the pace of this jumps too fast, I think it does. But (I think. With me, anyway, when I start a new story, I sometimes think the pace goes too fast )**

 **As always, I don't own Heath and Bianca, I own the chapters I come out with and the spelling mistakes I make.**

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The Surrogacy

Chapter 1

Bianca could still remember what it was like when she couldn't wake Rocco up from his nap, after they'd came in from a walk along the beach.

Paramedics came and took Rocco away, he would need a post mortem, to reveal the cause of his death. Bianca didn't want them to cut up her baby. The results came back as Rocco dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Bianca was inconsolable; losing a child was devastating. She'd turned to Liam for drugs, while pushing Heath away, she'd pushed him out of Rocco's funeral plans, preferring to do everything herself.

After the service was over, she'd taken a walk along the beach and had suddenly collapsed to her knees and had begged her ex - husband Liam, for drugs to take the edge off the pain she was feeling. She knew that they wouldn't make her feel better. But she just needed something for now.

She'd refused to even consider having another child with Heath, thinking it would be disrespectful to Rocco and when Heath had mentioned wanting another child, Bianca had stormed off to the cemetery, and had sat, for what seemed like ages, in front of Rocco's grave and simply stared at the words on the grave.

 _In memory of:_

 _Rocco Scott - Braxton._

 _7th June - 12 October 2012_

 _Our little angel, forever in our hearts._

* * *

She found it hard to believe that Rocco was under there, in a box. She traced her fingers over her sons name and stood up as she started walking out of the cemetery and towards hers and Heath's house, which was opposite Brax's and Ricky's house, Bianca often saw Ricky taking Casey out in his pram as she went for a walk.

But now, Bianca realised, she wanted a baby. She looked at the grave one more time and then stood up, walking out of the cemetery and sighed.

"Heath" Bianca called as she stepped in to the house and put her keys down, it was the weekend so he had most likely gone for a surf with Brax. She walked in to the kitchen and switched on the kettle and waited for it to boil.

She sat in the living room with her drink and decided to get some marking done for her English class. She got her classes books out and began marking them.

"B?" Heath called as he walked through the house, his body wet from his surf as was his hair. He walked in to the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge and walked back to the living room where Bianca was still marking her students books. She looked up as Heath put his beer down on the table.

"alright?" He asked.

Bianca nodded as she continued marking but her gaze was drawn to a framed picture of Rocco, smiling cheekily at the camera. Memories were all they had now and she had to learn to accept that Rocco would be with them in spirit, and not in person. She finished marking and closed her books as she put them back in her briefcase for Monday morning. She moved closer to Heath as he put his arm around her. Bianca leaned her shoulder on his chest as he stroked her hair and then rested his chin on her head.

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 **Thank you for reading, I hope you liked the first chapter, have no idea when this will be updated, that's the trouble with me, forever starting new stories, but having no idea when to update t** **hem or have no idea how many chapters this will be. It will possibly have the same amount of chapters as "Life After Birth" (not that I know how many that story will have )**

 **Short opening chapter, but I was trying to set the scene.**

 **Think, that, unfortunately this will be the last Home & Away story from me. I need to stop with the ideas as I can't spend the rest of my life writing (while job hunting ) I may, from time to time post one - shots on Brax and Ricky, as I'm sure, as you guys, have most probably guessed by now, are my favourite ship in home and away, closely followed by Kyle and Phoebe. **


	2. Not an update, sorry

**Not, an update, sorry, just a little note to say weather I'm unsure about continuing. I would like too but it would mean getting Ricky pregnant again, and she's been pregnant in every story I've written except "Long Lost Sister" (Which I've decided she's not going to fall pregnant in)**

 **What do you guys think? Do you want to see this story continue? Your support means so much to me and I'm greatful that you guys take the time to review my chapters.**


	3. Chapter 2

**FrankElza: I've decided that I'm going to continue this now. Thank you for the review.**

 **This is only a small update while I try to figure out where I'm going with this as I don't want to rush in to Heath and Bianca asking Ricky to carry their baby.**

 **I'm kind of getting used to writing them in POV form now, I think that's what you'll see with me, sometimes I'll switch to POV.**

 **I'm losing faith in wanting to write for most of my Brax and Ricky stories, unfortunately as I have so many of them and**

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The Surrogacy

Chapter 2

Bianca felt a pang of sadness about Rocco as she walked out of hers and Heath's house to go to work when she seen Brax and Ricky push Casey in his pram, Brax's arms were lovingly around his wife's shoulders.

"Are you OK?" Ricky had clocked Bianca while she unlocked the boot of her car.

Yeah" Bianca replied as she got what she needed and gave the boot a good slam to lock it.

Brax resumed putting his arm around Ricky as she was silent, in thought.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Nothing" She whispered. "I'm fine"

And with that, they both headed for work. Ricky had quit waitressing and had taken up photography full time, but she still helped out at the restaraunt.

* * *

After a long and tiring day at work, Bianca walked through the hallway to find Heath sitting on the couch, watching a footie match. He had a beer in one hand and was cheering the team on.

Bianca sat down beside him.

"Heath?"

"Um?" His eyes never left the TV.

Bianca knew that this could ruin things between them but she knew what she wanted and that was a baby. "I want to try for another child "

Heath stared at her and Bianca gulped, thinking she had ruined everything between them...

* * *

 **Next chapter: Heath's POV as he tries to understand what his wife wants.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry, it's been a while. I had started this, but then I deleted it as I wasn't happy with it. I've never written Heath's POV before and I knew if I didn't post it soon, I would chicken out of doing so, I apologise if this is crap.**

 **FanficForYou: I don't know how well this is going to turn out. I wasn't a watcher when Heath, and Bianca were in the show. Thank you for the review.**

 **FrankElza: It could be a struggle for her. I'm not sure yet. Thanks, I'm also glad I'm continuing. I guess I lost my interest for a while as I've got loads of Brax and Ricky stories on the account. Thank you for the review.**

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The Surrogacy

Chapter 4

Heath's POV. 

I looked at Bianca. Having another baby, would feel like a betrayal to Rocco. I stood up, grabbed my jacket, which was slung on the back of the sofa and shrug it on. I then walk out in to the street. Ricky is pushing Casey in his pram, she looks like a natural.

I didn't think I wanted to be a dad after Rocco. And I didn't think Bianca wanted to be a Mum, but maybe I was, I don't know, wrong.

"You ok, mate?" She asks, putting the brakes on Casey's pram.

I find myself, staring at Casey's face. That could be me and Bianca if we decide to go ahead.

"Heath?" Ricky prompted me.

"Sorry, Rick" I apologised, as I realised there was somewhere I needed to be.

"That's ok" She replied with a smile.

I was going to the cemetery. I head off in the direction and find Rocco's grave.

I crouch down in front of it.

"Hey, mate" I say, blinking back tears, us Braxton's didn't cry. Just coming here brought me comfort knowing that he was with his uncle Case. He'd look after him. The two graves are bedside each other. I stand up. Putting my hand across Rocco's and then Case's names, I then stand and walk out of the cemetery.

I then return to the house. Bianca is curled up on the couch, she's marking excersize books for her English class. "Heath?" She called.

I walked in to the kitchen to get a beer.

I knew another baby would not take away the love I had for Rocco and we would explain that it's brother was watching it from up in the sky with the angels.

"Bianca?" I ask.

She looks up from her marking and she makes a sound. "yeah?"

I sit down bedside her and take her hand, seeing her wedding ring. Marrying her was the best day of my life, then shortly after the wedding we'd lost Rocco, but we got through it. Well, after she'd asked Adam for drugs. But us Braxton's didn't get along with Adam. I'm going off subject.

I look at B again. I guess another baby would work.

i nod my head.

Bianca smiles and hugs me and I hug her back, knowing that another Braxton will soon be on it's way. But it turned out that Bianca wasn't finished.

"I want to ask Ricky" She says.

"Ask Ricky what?" I asked, taking a drink of my beer.

Her words floor me."To carry the baby "

* * *

 **I had almost forgotten about this. And I knew that I wanted to get it up before I head off tomorrow for the week. I know I've explained in one of my other stories that I head off, but whatever I don't manage I'll update when I get back, at some point.**

 **I know in an earlier chapter I put that Bianca asked Liam for drugs but a few days later, I was reading hers and Ricky's home & away wikis when I realised it said, she'd asked Adam for drugs, not her husband Liam.**

 **Next chapter: Bianca announces hers and Heath's plans to have a baby during a BBQ at Brax's house and she asks Ricky to be the carrier. Having just had baby Casey, how will Ricky react?**


	5. Chapter 5

**FrankElza: I loved writing the scene where Heath visited Casey's and Rocco's graves, so I'm glad you loved it. Thank you for the review.**

 **Fanficforyou: I realise I never thanked you for the review on chapter 3, I hope you enjoyed Heath's reaction. Thank you for the review.**

 **Shouldn't really be posting while I'm away in the caravan, (I've already used up most of my data.) but then I realised there was an office which has internet connection.**

 **I didn't manage to watch the show as the reception on the TV at the caravan, is rubbish, so I'm going to wait until I get home on Sunday and have a catch up, as I missed half of Friday's ep. I caught up with it at 18:00.**

 **Spelling and grammar mistakes are mine.**

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The Surrogacy

Chapter 5

Let's have a bbq?" Brax suggested, as he sat on the couch in the living room, reading the paper.

Ricky looked up, she'd been bouncing Casey on her knee. "Sounds great " She smiled.

"Good" Brax said, as he stood up and walked out in to the garden, ready to light the BBQ.

Him and Heath called themselves the BBQ kings and Ricky couldn't help but laugh at the two of them.

* * *

Brax was in the garden, standing at the BBQ while Ricky placed Casey on the rug she had set up outside, surrounded by pillows and his mum sat crossed legged beside him. She'd like to give Casey a brother or sister sometime in the future. She was interrupted from her thoughts from a ding. She stood up and walked in to the house, and made her way through the

Bianca and Heath made their way over to the house with Bianca, holding a bottle of prosecco. She rang the doorbell.

Ricky opened the door and smiled as she seen Bianca. She opened the door to allow the two of them in to their home.

The three of them walked through to the garden where Heath walked over to his brother. Kyle was in Angelos, but he was coming with Phoebe after his shift was finished.

Ricky was on non- alcoholic beers as she was still recovering from the birth of Casey.

"Alright, mate?" Heath asked, picking up a beer and bottle opener.

"Yep" Brax nodded as he flipped a burger and put it on a plate.

"Grubs up" Heath called as he took a swig from his beer.

The doorbell, rang again and Ricky went to answer it.

"Hey Rick" Kyle greeted her.

Ricky smiled. "Hey mate, hey Pheobs. "

They walked in to the house and out in to the garden, and Kyle got his girlfriend a drink.

Bianca walked over to Ricky and Phoebe and picked up a bottle of wine.

When Bianca was drunk, she hiccuped: "Heath and I have some news"

Brax, Ricky, Kyle and Phoebe all looked up at Bianca in surprise: "Me and Heath are trying for another baby"

"Congratlons " Everyone congratuled them, but it seemed Bianca wasn't finished with the surprise announcements.

"And" She smiled, looking at Ricky. "I want Ricky to carry my baby "

Ricky paled, as she looked down at the youngster in her arms. Brax put his arm around her. She wasn't expecting to be asked that and she didn't know what she wanted to do.

* * *

 **Next chapter: Brax's POV as him and Ricky talk about what Bianca has asked of Ricky.**

 **I will be continuing all my Brax and Ricky stories.**


	6. Chapter 6

**FrankElza: Thank you, I enjoyed writing them. Thanks for the review.**

 **Fanficforyou: I hope you like Brax's and Ricky's reactions. Thank you for the review, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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The Surrogacy

Chapter 6

Brax's POV. 

"BBQ's over" I called out, still with my arm around Ricky.

I hear Heath and Kyle mutter to each other as they leave through the back door and head over to the shared house, I brought that place when I first arrived in the Bay, and Ricky moved in with me and my brothers, shortly afterwards, we decided we wanted our own place, so, I brought next door.

* * *

"Rick?" I put my hand on her knee as she sits on the couch.

"What Brax?" She looks at me, her face pale.

"What do you want to do?" I asked.

"I don't know!" She raked her hands through her hair, looking stressed. I hated it when she got stressed.

I rubbed circles on the back of her hand.

She stood up from the couch and pocketed her phone from the table.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I need some air " She sad, sitting down and slipping her shoes on. She stood up and walked out of the living room, picking up her jacket. I then hear the door open and close.

* * *

Ricky sat on the beach, staring out at the sea for a few hours. It was where she came when she felt she needed some space.

"I was getting worried " I told her.

"There's no need; I'm fine" She told me, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

The problem was, I didn't believe her.

"Tell me the truth, Rick " I asked, I couldn't help her if I didn't know what was wrong.

"Where's Casey?" She asked.

"Kyle's looking after him. " I said, knowing what she was doing, she was changing the subject so she didn't have to answer.

"Fine" She said.

I put my arm around her shoulder and she buried her face in to me.

I looked at my watch. "Shall we go home?"

"Yeah" She said, as I stretched my hand out to her to help her up and we started walking off the beach, hand in hand.

Getting the keys out of my jeans pocket, I put them in to the lock and pushed open the door. Ricky walked inside, as I shut the door. She headed in to the kitchen while I headed to see Casey, we'd picked him up from Kyle when we were coming home.

* * *

In the bedroom, watching Casey sleep, I picked up the picture of Ricky holding him, after her labour. She looked exhausted but radiating with happiness. I put it down and put my hands behind my head as a thought comes to me:

I didn't think I could watch the woman I love carrying my brothers baby.

* * *

 **I liked writing this chapter.**

 **Next chapter: Brax and Ricky visit Heath and Bianca with her answer to carrying a baby for them.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here is the next chapter of "The Surrogacy "**

 **FrankElza: Brax is struggling with the fact Ricky may agree to carry Heath's kid. Will he stand by her? Thank you for the review.**

 **Fanficforyou: If, she does fall pregnant, their relationship won't be easy and there will be consequences. Thank you for the review.**

 **Fanfiction. 79: Whether she falls pregnant, or not, it's going to cause problems for them both. Thank you for the review.**

 **I know I've uploaded this chapter before, but I wanted to re- do. Big, big thanks to Fanficforyou, who went through it, so it flowed better.**

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The Surrogacy

Chapter 7.

Ricky walked down the stairs with Casey on her hip. Ignoring Brax who was sat on the couch, she made her into the kitchen. As Ricky began to prepare a bottle of milk for Casey, she could feel Brax's eyes burning into her.

"I can't do it Rick," Brax said, breaking the silence.

Ricky turned to face him as he continued, "I can't watch you carry Heath's kid"

Without replying or letting Brax explain himself any further, Ricky turned her attention back to the now boiled kettle. She finished the preparation for the milk as Brax stood behind her, waiting for a response.

"Rick?"

"What Brax?" Ricky questioned.

"I'm just not comfortable for you to have their kid," Brax tried to explain how he felt about the situation.

"But this is a new chance for both of them! Our lives have changed for the better with Casey and don't you want the same for Heath and Bianca?"

"Yeah but at what cost Ricky? I don't know if I can cope with that"

Casey chose that moment to start whining, wanting his milk.

"I've got to feed Casey," She muttered, leaving the conversation at a tense point as she stepped around Brax with Casey, settled down onto the couch and fed him his bottle.

An awkward silence filled the room as Casey sucked on the bottle greedily.

"Forget it," Brax said after a while. "I'm going for a surf," And he picked up his board and headed out.

As Ricky placed Casey in to his playpen, she couldn't help but think how typical it was of Brax to say he didn't want her to carry the baby and then just walk out without discussing it further.

She watched Casey as she reflected on the decision she had to make. She loved Casey more than anything, and would do anything for him. She knew it was a big decision to make, but she also knew that she could do something good for Heath and Bianca.

Picking up her son and her bag, she left the house with her mind made up.

* * *

"Hey Rick," Heath greeted, as he opened the door to his brothers partner, "Hey mate" He said to Casey as he affectionately touched his face. "Come in," He said as he stepped aside.

"Thanks" Said Ricky as she stepped inside the share house.

Bianca looked up when she heard Ricky approach. Ricky could see how apprehensive she was. Ricky sat down after placing Casey on the floor with some toys. She looked back up at the couple in front of him, who were holding hands tightly, waiting to hear Ricky's decision.

The time out in the water had, as always, help put things in to perspective for Brax. He knew that Ricky was being selfless and was helping Heath and Bianca. Quickly getting out of the water, he dried himself before making his way back home.

He took a deep breath before entering the house he shared with Ricky and their son. He called out when he didn't see either of them and when he received no response, he knew were the pair would be.

* * *

Brax let himself in to the share - house, after all it was his house, he didn't have to knock. He walked in on Ricky facing Heath and Bianca; all three of them looked up at him. Without saying a word, he sat himself down next to Ricky, who smiled, grateful that he was here to support her. He took her hand in hers before taking a deep breath.

"So, have you decided?" Bianca asked as she gripped Heath's hand harder, anxious about what the response would be.

"Yeah I have, and I've decided that I will," Ricky gave the good news.

A few tears escaped Bianca's eyes, running down her cheeks as she threw her arms around her best friend, thanking her for what she had agreed to do for them. When Bianca finally let her go, Heath kissed her cheek and hugged her, thanking her. Brax tried to be happy for what Ricky was doing for Bianca and his brother, after all that was what he had decided to do, but hearing Ricky say it made it feel real and official and he just couldn't take it. Abruptly, he got up and left the house, leaving a shocked Ricky, Bianca and Heath behind.

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 **Next chapter: Ricky, Heath and Bianca visit the hospital to talk to Nate. Ricky's POV. I'm hoping it'll be be up tonight.**


	8. Chapter 8

The Surrogacy

Chapter 8

Ricky's POV.

I was still in shock that Brax had just walked out, I pulled my phone out of my bag and rang his number, but got his voicemail.

"Great" I sighed as I heard:"This is Brax, the reason I've not answered your call is I'm either on the waves or working" I don't bother leaving him a message and put it back in my bag, before finally looking back up at Bianca, who squeezes my hand. I pack up Casey's toys and head next door, telling Heath and Bianca that I would see them in a bit for our appointment. I pull my keys from my bag and put them in to the lock.

* * *

I drive Heath, Bianca and I to the hospital, Maz is looking after Casey in the house.

I park in the hospital car - park, turn off the engine and shoot smiles at Heath and Bianca as we all get out and I lock the car, heading inside the hospital where I wonder if I will be giving birth in here, like I did with Case.

The three of us sit down and wait for Nate to finish off with another patient, who has broken his leg.

He soon come to us and we head in to his o

Yes" I told Nate as Bianca and Heath interlocked their fingers with mine.

Nate nodded as he continued to tell us what was going to do: He's going to start both Bianca and I on a course of tablets called Lupron. He writes on a prescription pad and gives it to a nurse.

The nurse returns and Nate checks the writing on the bottles, before handing them over to us women. And Nate tells us what'll happen.

"Heath's eggs will be inserminated by IVF " The docs tells us, I begin to feel a little bit queasy.

"And then what?" Bianca questions, I stay quiet.

"The remaining embryo will be in planted in to Ricky" The doc tells us.

I find myself standing up and walking out.

"Ricky!" I hear someone call, but I don't know who.

Bianca and Heath thanked him and leave the office, heading back in to the car park.

"Is this happening?" Bianca asks, still in a bubble over what I had agreed to do. I give her a small nudge as I reply.

"It is" By now we've reached the car and I unlock it, get in as do Bianca and Heath. I run a hand over my face as I start the engine.

* * *

I return home and find Brax isn't home from work yet. I thank Marylin for looking after him

And she replies. "That's ok, darling" and leaves, I pick up Casey and walk out in to the garden, sitting on the beach as I bounce my son on my knee, wondering if Brax is coming home. As, it gets colder, I stand and take Casey back inside, it's not good for him to get too cold. I head up the stairs and cross the landing, open the door to our room and I lower Casey in to the cot and wonder what this baby will look like. I stroke his tiny cheek and back out of the room. I head back downstairs, just as I hear a key

"Hey" I smile, but Brax ignores me. "Brax" I call out, heading off the sofa. He's in the kitchen, getting a beer out of the fridge. I tut.

"What Ricky?" He doesn't seem happy I've interrupted him. I take the pills out of my bag and put them on the shelf.

"Nothing" I sigh, turning on my heel and heading upstairs. I'm taking to sleeping in the spare room.

As I get under the covers, I catch sight of the picture of Brax and I, kept on the side, I reach for it and smile weakly, it was taken on the beach, with my camera, after a surf. Looking at how happy we were, a sudden tear makes it's way down my cheek. I then suddenly come a decision. I'm not letting Darryl Braxton give up on us. I remove the blanket and reach for my dressing gown and put my arms in it as I tie it up and exit the room, heading down the stairs.

"I need you" I tell him as I enter the living room.

Brax sighs, but opens his arms to me. "Come here "

I move closer to him and breath in his familiar smell as he kisses the top of my head. I sigh as I rest my head on his shoulder, as Casey cries.

"I'll go" Brax says, putting the bottle down.

"No, it's ok" I say, standing up, and heading back upstairs to get our wailing son. I check his nappy to see that he's filled it. I lay him down on the changing mat in the bathroom and undo his suit. I get a new nappy and cream off the shelf as I notice some redness around his bottom. He gurgles and I smile as I lift him up, I know he won't sleep now, so I take him back down with me. As, I reach the bottom step, I catch sight of my reflection in the mirror. My hair is half over my shoulder and I brush a hand through it. I continue to walk in to the living room.

"Drink?" Brax asks, suddenly standing up.

"Chamomile tea" I respond, sitting down.

I hear Brax in the kitchen, getting the items out to make the drink. He comes back in, holding out the mug.

"Thanks" I say, taking it from him. I take a sip as Brax takes Casey and holds him. His eyes are starting to close, I think my son needs a nap. Brax stands and holds out his hand, carefully shifting Casey to his other side. "Coming?" He asks.

"OK" I replied, taking the last mouthful of my tea and following him out of the room, picking up my phone as I go.

* * *

 **Next chapter: Heath's eggs are transferred in to Ricky. Will possibly be in Ricky's POV again.**


	9. Chapter 9

**FrankElza: I wanted to show the tension between the couple. Thank you for the review.**

 **Fanfiction. 79: Brax is now being supportive of the woman he loves. I suppose it is scaring Ricky a bit, now it's beginning to come real. But she is coming round to the idea of being a surrogate for her partners brothers baby, but who knows if she'll want to keep the baby once it arrives? Thank you for the review.**

 **I also want to thank Fanficforyou for pointing out that in the previous chapter I had wrote, when researching, that Heath's eggs would be injected with his sperm. It wouldn't be. It would be Bianca's eggs injected with Heath's sperm.**

 **As alway, I don't own Brax, Ricky, Heath and Bianca, I'm just bringing them out to play. I do own any spelling and grammar and missing words.**

 **This might not be accurate but I did research.**

 **A little bit of Heath and Bianca at the bottom as well.**

 **I'm sorry about the length of this, I like writing long chapters.**

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The Surrogacy

Chapter 9. 

Ricky's POV. 

It was today. Today was the day I would get Bianca's eggs inserted inside of me. I get up, leaving Brax asleep as I head in to the bathroom. I undress and step in to the shower, turning on the water, pulling the door shut behind me. I stand under it as the water runs down my body. I pick up the shampoo bottle, and squeeze it in to my hand and rub it in to my hair and then I repeat the action, tilting my head so the water washes it out. I turn off the water and open the door and step out, the cold air hits me, I grab a towel and wrap it around me, before walking in to the bedroom.

I dress quickly, putting on a top and a pair of leggings, as well as a pair of wedges. I towel dry my hair and pick up the brush, running it through my hair. I pick up a bobble.

"You ready?" Brax asks, squeezing my hand. I look up, I hadn't realised I'd taken so much time, getting ready.

I'm quiet before I answer him. "OK"

"Let's go" He says as he heads down the stairs to pick up his wallet, car keys and phone. We head out to the car.

We also head next door to see if Heath and Bianca are ready.

We arrive at the hospital and see that Hannah is sat at the desk, typing up the admisson notes of new patients. Brax tells Hannah that we are here and then he sits down beside me.

"Brax, Ricky would you like to follow me?" Asked Nate.

"Fine" I whisper as Bianca, Brax, Heath and I follow Nate in to the room and I get onto the bed as Nate hands me a gown to put on. I put it on and Brax ties it at the back. He holds my hand as Bianca and Heath hold each other's hands as well.

Heath provided a sample of serman and Nate had put them in an incubator.

Nate picks up a BP cuff and places it around my arm, I wince as it tightens.

He notes down the BP and I glance at what it is: 90/ 60.

"It's a little low, Ricky" He tells me, taking it off.

I nod. I know I should be taking care of myself, but with Casey, trying to find work as I'm getting bored at sitting at home, I forget to look after myself.

Nate picks up a thin tube and the eggs are injected in to me.

* * *

It was now a waiting game to see if the egg transfer has worked.

"When will we know?" Bianca asks Nate.

"I'll do a blood test on Ricky and that'll tell us if the egg transfer has worked or not " Nate replies.

"Fine" I say as Nate takes off his gloves and leaves the cubicle, I take off the gown and put on my normal clothes. I tie my hair back in to a ponytail and get off the bed. We all exit the cubicle and head in to the car - park. Brax unlocks the doors. We all get in.

"Thanks for the lift " Heath says as he shuts the door.

"It's fine" I call as Brax drives my car, I was too tired to drive us back. Brax pulls on to the drive and I get out, shutting the door, walking to the front door, getting my keys out of my bag and putting them in to the lock and walking in to the hallway.

I walk in to the kitchen and grab a mug and start making a Chamolie tea. I put the flowers in to the mug and pour in some hot water. I allow it to mix together, before putting it in to another cup. I add a hint of lemon. I turn on the tap and wash my hands, before picking up the mug and taking it in to the living room.

I sit down and watch Casey in his playpen, playing happily with some of his toys. I potentially could be carrying his cousin. I close my eyes as I take a sip of the drink.

"Shall we go to bed?" Brax asks, as he enters the living room, a bottle in his hands.

"Sure" I say as I lift Casey out of his playpen. He kicks his legs.

* * *

Brax and I, are now laying in bed and Casey cries.

I get out of bed, wrapping my dressing gown around me and bend down to scope Casey in to my arms.

"Shush, little man " I soothe, rocking him gently. He snuggles in to my arms. I notice Brax pulls the duvet back and pats it. I walk over and get back in, lying Casey gently between us.

Without warning, tears fall down my cheeks.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Brax asks.

"Nothing" I whisper, I hate showing any weakness to any of the Braxton Brothers.

"Tell me" Brax says.

"I'm fine" I say, quietly.

I hear him get off his side and he comes round to my side, sitting on the bed.

"Are you having second thoughts?" He asks.

"No.. " I told him, wrapping my arms around him. Casey whimpers in protest. I stand and lower him gently back in to the cot.

Brax laughs, running his fingers through my hair. "Everything's going to be alright"

"Sure" I whisper back, resting my head on his chest as he wraps an arm around me.

* * *

Next door, at the share house, Bianca was sitting in the living room, having found the baby book of names when she was pregnant with Rocco. She ran a manicured hand down the page she was on.

"How about Nathan Braxton?"

"Slow down " Heath laughed at Bianca's ethuasim. "We won't know if Ricky's pregnant yet, you heard what the doc said"

"I don't want nothing to go wrong" She sighed, shutting the book.

Heath knew she was thinking about Rocco. He sat down beside her and put his arm around her.

"I miss him too, Bee" Heath told her.

Heath lifted his arm and Bianca moved closer to him as Heath picked up the photo album and flicked through the photos of Rocco as a baby. Our Braxton Boy in the sky. thought Heath as he closed the album and looked at the time on his phone. Bianca followed him up the stairs and in to Rocco's room, she had been in there since his death, but she knew now that, if Ricky was pregnant, the room was going to have to been changed in to a nursery for the new baby.

* * *

 **Next chapter: Heath and Bianca face a tense wait to see if Ricky is pregnant. I think I'll stop with the POV's for now, as I think we've heard from everyone we've had to for the moment. We will hear from Bianca (I think) when the baby is born.**

 **What do readers want the baby to be? I was orginally going to get her pregnant with a boy, but then I realised she had carried Casey. So, I'm undecided on what to give her.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Mentions the bus crash which Ricky was in.**

 **FanFicForYou: Thank you, I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for the review.**

 **FrankElza: I love writing Brax and Ricky scenes. I think he can always tell when she's feeling down. I'm undecided what she should have, I have one vote for a boy and another for a girl. Thank you for the review.**

* * *

The Surrogacy

Chapter 10. 

She felt exhausted, ill and she felt like she hadn't peed in ages. She dragged her tired body off the sofa and stood outside in the hallway before she headed towards the stairs.

Grabbing hold of the banister she started to climb, when suddenly, she felt faint, fell backwards, falling down the stairs, lying in a heap at the bottom.

Brax walked in to the house, hands in jeans pockets, whistling to himself but his eyes widened when he saw what or who, was at the bottom of the stairs.

"Ricky!" He shouted, running towards her.

He bent down beside her, moving her hair out of her face. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled down to Heath's number.

* * *

"Mate, calm down, I'm sure she will be fine " Heath was saying in to his phone as he walked in to the kitchen and placing a kiss on Bianca's head.

Bianca was sat at the kitchen table, reading a magazine and sipping a mug of hot chocolate.

"Ricky's collapsed " Heath told his wife, once he had come off the phone.

"Is she OK?" Bianca asked, pausing in reading her magazine.

nHeath walked over to the window and looked out at his and Brax's surfboards. "She fell down the stairs"

Bianca gasped, was Ricky's fall their fault? Where they putting too much pressure on her with their potential baby?

* * *

Hannah was taking a patients blood to be sent off to the lab and was just disposing of her gloves when she pulled the curtain across and picked up a pen, labelling the containers when she saw Brax and Ricky.

Hannah walked over to them. "Nate's with a patient, but he'll be with you shortly"

Brax nodded. "Thanks Hannah "

"That's alright " She smiled as she headed back to the desk, returning to her duties.

Nate come out from treating his patient and showed them to a empty cubicle. Ricky sat up on the bed.

"What happened?" Nate asked.

"She fell " Brax told his partners ex.

Nate nodded. "Right " He could see that her wrist was dislocated.

He called to Hannah to set up an x - ray for her.

Nate escorted her to x- Ray and told her to place her wrist on the board, she did as he was told and the x-Ray was soon over.

A nurse took Ricky back to the cubicle.

Nate walked over to the board and put up the films. Yep, there was a break in her wrist. Nate put the films back in the envelope.

Nate walked in. "Ricky, the x- rays show you've broken your wrist "

She nodded.

Nate took her wrist gently out of the frac- pac and offered her the tube of entnox, which would make the procedure of reducing her wrist, a bit more comfortable for her.

She reached for the tube of etnox as Nate prepared to pull her wrist in to place.

She put the mouth piece in her mouth as Nate pulled.

"Ah!" She screamed, Brax rubbed her other hand.

Nate left the room briefly to get a splint for her.

Nate strapped her wrist up. She got ready to leave when Nate stopped them.

"What doc?" Brax asked, he was ready to leave with her.

"Ricky, I found something when I was examining you" Nate told her.

"OK" She told Nate, wondering what her results would show up.

"Your HGC levels are up, Ricky, your pregnant " Nate told them.

She kind of knew she was, remembering the signs from Casey's pregnancy.

"Thanks doc " Brax told him.

Nate nodded and left the cubicle.

Ricky sat up as Brax kissed her forehead.

Nate returned to the cubicle with discharge forms for Ricky to sign, she picked up the pen and signed her name.

It may be her responsibility, but it wasn't her baby, she was simply helping two friends in need of wanting a baby.

She swung her legs over the bed and stood up.

"You ready?" Brax asked her.

"As I'll ever be" She responded.

Brax kissed her lips as he put his jacket over her shoulders and they headed out to Brax's car, he opened the door for her and she climbed in, she thought how lucky she was to have such a supportive partner.

* * *

Heath headed in to the hallway and opened the door, surprised to see Brax and Ricky standing on the doorstep.

"Come in" Heath said, moving out of the way.

The couple stepped inside.

"We've got some news" Brax told his brother as him and Ricky sat down on the couch.

Heath and Bianca looked at each other, was this the moment that they told them Ricky was carrying their child?

It was then Brax winked at her and she found the strength to tell them.

"Nate told me I was pregnant today" She said quietly.

Bianca jumped up out of her seat, next to Heath and hugged Ricky tightly, careful not to hurt her arm. This was it, this was her dream of becoming a mum.

"Thank you" She told Ricky, she was really greatful that she was doing this.

"Its ok, Bee" Smiled Ricky as she noticed tears in the other woman's eyes.

Kyle walked in to the room and Brax noticed that his brother was holding his son. Kyle looked at the two, wondering why there were here.

Ricky decided to just tell him. "Nate told me I was pregnant" She repeated her early comment.

"What?" Kyle frowned, as far as he was concerned, even know he know about Bianca's wish to be a mum again, after Rocco, he felt it was wrong for another woman to carry a baby for someone else, even if they were best friends. He put Casey down on the floor and walked out again.

Brax picked his son up and bounced him on his knee. The child gurgled.

Ricky looked at her watch and picked up her son from his dad.

* * *

Ricky was sat in the living room, watching something which was on the TV, her hand sub - consciously on her belly, as she remembered when she was pregnant with Casey, the bus crash, which could have cost her, her own baby.

She buried her face in to her hands.

"What are you thinking about?" Brax asked as he rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Nothing" Ricky told him.

"Rick, tell me the truth " Brax said, coming to sit beside her.

"I'm fine " She said.

Brax bent down in front of her and held her face in his hands as she leaned against him, this was the start of a pregnancy and she knew she'd be determined to protect this baby, just like she had been with Casey.

* * *

 **Next chapter: Brax and Ricky book her first scan with a midwife.**

 **Guys, I'm afraid I've decided to discontinue with 'Jealousy' and 'Photography' Sorry if that disappoints anyone, but I don't really know Charlie's character and the idea I had for photography, I realised, wouldn't work, I'll soon be deleting them.**


	11. Chapter 11

The Surrogacy

Chapter 11

Heath wondered whether he and Bianca should move house before the baby arrived, but he had lived next door to Kyle, Brax and Casey ever since the 3 of them arrived in the Bay and Heath figured if they moved, it would feel weird to not live next door to his brothers anymore. "We should move"

"What?" Bianca was startled.

Move where? Out of the bay? She couldn't do that. She had the baby to focus on.

"Heath we are staying here" Bianca told him.

Heath nodded. "I'm going for a surf" He said as he kissed her.

* * *

Ricky headed in to the hospital, she was going to get her cast removed. She got out of the taxi and paid, heading inside.

Nate removed her splint and then gave her a quick x - ray to check that the bones were in the right place.

As, she sat on the chair while holding her elbow as still as she could on the cusion, she put a hand to her belly, wondering if it was a boy or girl inside of her.

"The x- ray shows that the bones have healed nicely," Nate informed Ricky.

"That's good" She replied, standing up. She wobbled, Nate grabbed her.

"Maybe you should sit down for a moment "

For, once Ricky did as she was asked.

Nate got her a glass of water and she sipped it, slowly. "Shall I call Brax?" He asked, he knew that he should be able to stay professional but there was something about her.

Ricky took another sip of the refreshing water. "No, I'll be fine"

Nate nodded. "At least let me call you a taxi" He asked.

"Nate, seriously, I'll be fine" She told him with a weak smile, as she stood and walked out of the x- Ray room. She headed outside and leaned against the wall for a few seconds, closing her eyes. Opening them, she blinked as she started the walk home.

Walking in to the house, she sank great fully down on to the couch and watched some tv.

* * *

 **I wrote this this quite quickly.**


	12. Chapter 12

**This chapter wasn't planned, but I thought a Christmassy chapter was in order.**

 **Sorry to anyone who doesn't belief in heaven.**

 **Because baby Casey and Casey are both mentioned in this chapter I'll be referring to Casey as "Big Casey" and Ricky's son will be "Baby Casey" Sorry if that got confusing.**

 **Fanfiction. 79: I did have an idea about her keeping the baby, but her and Brax have baby Casey, so I'm not sure, she may want to keep it when it arrives. Thank you for the review.**

 **FrankElza: I hope it goes well for her as well. Thank you for the review.**

 **I was going to update last night, but I forgot all about it to be honest.**

* * *

The Surrogacy.

Chapter 12.

On Christmas Day, Heath and Bianca sat in the living room of the share- house exchanging gifts, whereas next door, Brax and Ricky were doing the same with their young son.

Even though, she knew baby Casey was too little to understand the true meaning of Christmas, she had got him a stocking with his name on and had bought him a few new toys and he was wearing a little elf costume, Ricky had immediately grabbed her camera and took a few pictures, she thought that he looked cute.

"Happy Christmas Rick" Brax kissed his partners forehead as he handed her, her presents. He had brought her a butterfly necklace and a personalised puff bracelet. As, she unwrapped, her presents, Ricky suddenly thought that what she had brought Brax, wouldn't match up.

"Thank you " She whispered as she kissed his lips.

"It's alright" Brax replied as he sat down on the couch as Ricky left the room for a brief moment to go and get his present. She headed in to their bedroom and opened their wardrobe, she'd ordered him a shirt and had also got him a new surfboard as his other one was old and he wasn't surfing as well as he could have been.

She bounced baby Casey on her knee and he grabbed her hair, she tried to get him to stop, but he held on.

Balancing her son on her hip, she walked in to the hallway and answered the door.

"A delivery for Miss Erica Sharpe?" The delivery man asked, looking at his clipboard to make sure that he had the right address.

"Yes" She replied.

"If you'd just sign here "He said, holding out an electronic device. She wrote her name and was handed the board, it was similar to his old one with black stripes running through it.

"Thanks" She said, handing him back the device as she shut the door. She lugged it upstairs with difficulty as she had baby Casey on her hip. She placed baby Casey on the bed and put pillows around him as she got the paper and scissors out of the wardrobe and spread it out on the floor.

"Hope daddy likes his present" She took on a silly voice as she looked at her son. She picked him up and put him under her arm as he squirmed. She simply laughed, kissed his head as she crossed the landing, walked down the stairs and took a deep breath, lugging the board had left her out of breath.

"Here's your other present" Ricky said as she leant it against the wall.

Brax ripped the paper away.

His face took on a look of delight, as he stood up, embracing her, he knew she didn't earn much as a photographer and what little she earned from it, went on their baby, Casey.

* * *

After lunch, at the share -house where the whole family had got together laughing, telling bad jokes (that was mainly Brax and Heath ) Bianca announced that she wanted to go and see Rocco, as she had a present for him.

Heath rubbed her arm, trying to comfort her.

Bianca picked up the full length white coat that Heath had got her for the day and waited by the car while Heath got his car keys.

The drive was in silence as Heath concentrated on the roads and Bianca checked her appearance.

Soon, they arrived at the cemetery and Heath took hold of her hand as they walked through the cemetery and headed towards Rocco's grave.

Heath sat in front of the grave, that contained his and Bianca's son. "Hey mate. Happy Christmas, me and mummy have brought you a present. "

Bianca stepped forward and placed the present down. They'd done it for the last couple of years, because even know he was no longer here, he was still their son and Bianca didn't want him to feel left out, she knew that big Casey would be looking after him.

A tear slipped down her cheek. Heath pulled her close. "Casey will be looking after him. "

She nodded in to her husbands chest, wetting his top with her tears. "I know"

Heath squeezed her hand as they both stood and headed towards their car, their minds on their lost son, who should be on earth celebrating with them.

Opening, the car door, Bianca sat down and dropped her handbag down by her feet while Heath opened his side and got in, starting the engine.

Bianca put some music on to try to forget about her tears and pulled down the mirror and also got the wipes out of her bag, she hated having ruined make up.

"Hey! Cheer up" Heath squeezed her hand as a car hurtled towards them.

* * *

 **Sorry! :(**

 **Next chapter: Ricky and Brax book her first ultrasound scan.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Fanficforyou: I really enjoyed writing the scene where Heath and Bianca visited Rocco's grave, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the review.**

 **Fanfiction. 79: Thank you for the review.**

* * *

The Surrogacy. 

Chapter 13. 

Bianca let out a startled scream as Heath desperately, tried to break, but it was too late. They had landed on ice. They had to get out before it was too late and the ice broke. Heath jammed at the doors, and was relieved when they opened. Heath put his arms around her as he pulled her out of the car.

They sat on the, cold ground, arms around each other, as the ice broke, watching as the car plunged in to the icy waters, both thankful that they weren't in it. Heath kissed the top of her head.

"Heath, your bleeding " Bianca said as she noticed the blood on the side of his head.

Heath felt his head and found that his wife was right, well, she usually was.

Bianca got her phone out of her pocket.

"What are you doing?" Heath asked.

"I'm ringing an ambulance " She replied as she put the phone to her to ear and asked for an ambulance.

The ambulance arrived and Heath and Bianca got in and .

"This is Heath Braxton, 30, BP 60/ 90. GSC 15 throughout, a head injury "

"And this is his wife Bianca Scott, 31, fractured her hand, BP 60/ 90. GSC 15 throughout "

"Is there anyone I can call for you?" The doctor asked, once the couple were settled in to a cubicle.

Heath nodded. "My brother Darryl "

* * *

Brax drove him and Ricky to the hospital.

"I'm looking for Heath Braxton" Brax told the receptionist, who had short brown hair and was looking uninterested at him, before sighing.

"Hurry up " Brax snapped.

"Brax " Ricky said calmly, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze. "Calm down, the nurse is doing her job "

"Cubicle 2 " Brax nodded and him and Ricky headed over to the cubicle, pulling back the curtain.

"Mate, you look a mess" Brax joked to his brother, who had stitches over the cut.

"I'll go and get us some coffees" Brax suggested, they were good for shock.

"How are you?" Ricky asked her friend, who was sat up in the bed, her hand was being supported by pillows.

Bianca nodded at her friend, as she held up her hand, which was in a splint. "It's painful "

Brax returned with the plastic cups of coffee and started handing them out.

As the smell of coffee hit her nostrils, Ricky clamped a hand over her mouth as she felt the familiar welcome of sickness return, she left the cubicle, Brax followed her.

"Hey, it's OK "Brax slid to his knees as he rubbed soothing circles on his partners back as she vomited in to the bowl.

She raised her head and looked at him, she knew that she was doing a wonderful, thing, but she was already feeling the strain. As, they headed out of the disabled toilet, Brax knew Ricky wouldn't be allowed in the males and he wouldn't be allowed in the females, they found a doctor was waiting for them.

"Mr Braxton, your brother is fine, but I will be keeping him and his wife in for observation " He informed them both

"Cheers "Brax nodded as he went back to the cubicle.

* * *

The couple returned home, Ricky had gone for a lie down as she was exhausted and Brax was cleaning up the kitchen, when he heard a set of soft footsteps pad in to the kitchen. "How you feeling?" He asked, knowing from experience how tired she was when he got her pregnant with Casey.

"Tired" She raised her arms as Brax took in the tiny curve of her stomach where his brother's baby lay. "Don't " She added, she was feeling self - conscious.

"Sorry" Brax apologised.

Ricky walked in to the living room and picked Casey up out of his playpen, as Brax got a cup of tea for her as they watched their son sleep, Ricky very much aware she was carrying his cousin or nephew. She was worried that when the time come she wouldn't be able to hand the baby over as she would have bonded with it, but she had to keep reminding herself, it wasn't her baby, she was simply helping out her two best friends.

* * *

 **I will try not to keep you all waiting too long for the next chapter.**

 **Next chapter: Heath and Bianca are discharged and Ricky has her first ultrasound.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Just a quick re-write as I realised I had uploaded the chapter twice, I think that's the trouble with having so many stories on the same characters.**

 **Guest: I don't know Darcy's character well enough, to put her in, sorry. Thank you for the review.**

 **FrankElza: I enjoyed writing the scene with Brax at the hospital. I always think that Ricky has the influence to calm him down. Thank you for the review.**

 **Fanfiction. 79: I don't think she will be able to give this baby up either. Thank you for the review.**

* * *

The Surrogacy. 

Chapter 14

Heath and Bianca were well - rested after spending the night in hospital. After the doctor signed both release forms and notifying the couple they were free to go, Heath and Bianca waited for Brax and Ricky; for not only were they picking them up, they were waiting to attend Ricky's ultrasound and see news of their _baby._

Brax and Ricky headed to the cubicles first to greet Heath and Bianca then the four walked through the hospital towards the ultrasound room.

They pushed through the double doors and Brax headed to the desk.

"My partner has a scan " He told the receptionist.

"Name?" She required.

"Ricky " Brax replied.

"Take a seat and someone will be with you shortly " The receptionist told him.

Brax went over to Ricky, who was texting Marilyn, about Casey.

"Nervous?" Brax asked, this wasn't her first scan, but it was the first time she had carried a baby, that wasn't hers.

"No" Ricky lied.

"Miss Sharpe?" A midwife come out and spoke.

Ricky stood up as the midwife introduced herself to her. "I'm Lucy and I'll be your midwife throughout your pregnancy. "

Ricky nodded. "That's fine "

"Is this your first pregnancy?" Lucy asked as they headed in to the ultrasound room. Ricky lay down on the table.

Ricky pulled her top up. "No. " She answered. "I have a son, Casey "

Lucy nodded as she switched the machine on. "This will just feel cold " She said as she applied the gel to Ricky's abdomen.

Ricky winced. "That's cold "

"She told you it would be " Brax laughed, taking hold of her hand.

Lucy moved the probe across her stomach and Ricky glanced at the screen.

"That's our baby, Heath " Bianca said tearfully as she looked at the screen.

Heath squeezed his wife's hand. "It is, Bee "

"Would you like a copy of the scan?" Lucy asked as she froze the image on the screen.

Ricky looked over at Bianca as she answered. "Yes"

"I'll be back in a moment " Smiled Lucy as she left the room.

She returned to the room, handing Ricky a scan picture. She gave it to Bianca, it didn't feel right.

* * *

"I don't think I can do this, " She said slowly. "I don't think I can carry this baby without getting attached and not wanting to let it go," Ricky confessed all. The two were at home, sitting on the couch.

Brax sighed, putting a hand on her knee as she allowed a few tears to escape from her eyes. He slipped an arm around her and kissed her head. "It'll all work out fine Rick; you'll see. Let's just get through this together. "

Ricky nodded tearfully, glad to have Brax supporting her.

* * *

 **Next chapter: Unaware of Ricky's change of heart over the baby, Heath and Bianca start preparing Rocco's old room in to a nursery, but they are distracted by a surprise visitor.**


	15. Chapter 15

**FrankElza: Thank you for the review. You'll find out who the visitor is in this chapter.**

 **Fanfiction. 79: Thank you for the review.**

* * *

The Surrogacy. 

Chapter 15. 

Bianca sent Heath out for a few cans of paint, so they could make a start on transforming Rocco's room in to a nursery. Heath grabbed his car keys and wallet, putting them in to his jacket pocket and leaving the house.

Heath set the cans down in the hallway while taking off his jacket and hanging it up on the banister.

They had decided to go for a white wall with the cot being delivered in the next couple of day.

Bianca was sitting on the couch in the living room, watching a movie while

"Heath, come down a minute " Bianca called as she stared at the person standing on the doorstep in shock.

"Coming B " Heath said as he walked down the stairs.

"Darc, what are you doing here?" Heath asked. It wasn't that he wasn't happy to see his daughter, but a bit of warning would have been nice.

"Gran said I could come over for a couple of days, " The young girl explained, she lived with her mothers, mother for most of the time, but Connie allowed Heath to have regular visits.

Heath nodded his head and his daughter walked inside. Darcy got her phone out so that she could text her gran to let her know that she had arrived at her dad's safely.

* * *

Brax had gone for a surf, and Ricky went down to the beach to watch him, she found it strange, not being in the water. Instead, she was sat on a towel, taking pictures with her camera.

"Oi" Brax laughed at her good naturedly as he caught her taking pictures.

He sat down next to her, putting an arm around her.

"Are you going to tell Heath?" He asked.

"No " She replied, knowing what he was talking about. She also knew that it would all blow up if she revealed she wanted to keep this baby.

* * *

"Darcy, we have something to tell you" Bianca said as her and Heath sat in the living room.

Darcy looked up from playing one of Casey's old x - box games "What?" She asked.

Heath and Bianca looked at each other before Bianca spoke. "Darc? Ricky is carrying mine and your dad's baby "

"Ricky's pregnant? That's amazing "

Heath smiled at his daughter, she would soon be a big sister.

* * *

"No, Ricky, you can't " Brax told her, seeing her walk in to the living room, with a bottle of white wine.

"Brax " Ricky replied, "One little glass isn't going to hurt "

Brax shook his head at her. "You can't "

"Why not?" She challenged him.

"That's my brother's kid your carrying "

"Oh, come off it, Brax, you didn't even want me to have it!" She shouted, her shouts woke Casey. With a sigh, she lifted her son in to her arms and attempted to soothe him back to sleep.

"I'm going to take him for a drive to see if that'll settle him. "

Brax was annoyed. "It's late, Rick "

Ricky shrugged her shoulders, grabbing both Casey's changing bag and her own handbag and walking out of the house. She put Casey in the back, covering him with his blanket and putting his teddy beside him. She shut the door and got in to the drivers side, putting on the belt and driving away from the house.

She found herself on a country road, the radio was on low as she looked at Casey through her rear - view, she could see him chewing on his teddy's ear, she smiled, he was such a happy baby and she was so lucky to have him.

"Oh, Case " She said, with a hint of laugh in her smile. Suddenly, Casey started to cry and taking a quick look, she realised that he had just dropped his teddy.

Taking her eyes off the road, as she leant back to try to grab Casey's teddy, as she suddenly crashed in to a tree, she blacked out...

* * *

 **It's quite short, but after leaving it for a while, I had lost the thread for it, I knew what I wanted, it was just getting the motivation to finish the chapter. I'll try not to keep you waiting for the next chapter.**

 **Next chapter: Unaware that his partner and child have been involved in an RTC, it's Nate who rings to tell him. What situation will Ricky and baby Casey be in? And will Heath forgive her for putting their unborn baby in trouble?**


	16. Chapter 16

**FrankElza: Thank you for the review. You'll find out if Ricky has complications in this chapter. I'm glad that you found the Heath/ Darcy moments sweet, I don't really write father and daughter moments as I wasn't a watcher when they were in it.**

 **Fanfiction. 79: Thank you for the review. You'll find out if Ricky, Casey and Ricky's unborn baby will be ok in this chapter. I think it's hard when you want to write but don't know how to continue a story.**

* * *

The Surrogacy. 

Chapter 16. 

Ricky's POV.

I tried to open my eyes, but it was too much effort. I could see nothing, but a blackness, it felt like I had fallen in to a black hole with no hope of getting out of it.

"Case" my mouth tried to form the words, but they were stuck in my throat. "It's ok, mummy's here " I needed to reassure him, for him to know he wasn't alone, but all I heard was my baby crying and I was powerless to do anything about it.

End of Ricky's POV. 

A woman was driving her car in a country lane when she noticed a car smashed up in front of a tree. There was smoke coming from the bonnet. She knew that she had to help as she couldn't leave them. She parked her car, jumped out and called an ambulance.

"999, what's your emergency?"

"Please, help, there's been a crash, a woman is unconscious and there's a baby in the back of the car. "

"An ambulance is on it's way. "

"Thank you " Said the woman.

When the ambulance arrived, Ricky was lifted out of the car and placed on a spinal board, while Casey was put in a smaller, plastic cot.

* * *

"This is Casey Braxton, 8 months old, involved in an RTC, no obvious injuries "

"This is Erica Sharpe, 27, blacked out at the scene. BP 60/ 90. GSC is 15. " Said, Abby, a new paramedic at the hospital.

"Can I have Ricky in treatment room 1 and Casey on the peads ward?" Nate asked.

Hannah nodded and started to wheel the stretcher in to RESUS 1.

* * *

"Where's Casey?" Ricky asked Hannah, quietly.

"He's on the children's ward"

"Is he OK?" Ricky asked, full of worry that she could have harmed her son.

"He's been looked over by the paediatrician "

"Can I see him?" Ricky asked, she didn't want him to be alone.

"Ricky, you need rest " Hannah told her.

Ricky ignored her friend and in that moment, nurse as she took off the thin blanket off her and noticed a pool of blood underneath her.

"Nate, can I have some help here, please?" Hannah asked, as Ricky collapsed in to her arms.

Nate rushed in to the room. "What happened?"

Hannah lay her back on the bed. "She got out of bed and started bleeding" she said, reaching for an oxygen mask and securing it over her face.

"Can you get me a Doppler?" Nate asked.

"On it " Hannah nodded.

Hannah handed Nate the Doppler.

* * *

"Doc, where is she? Where's Case?" Brax asked, his voice was full of worry for his loved ones.

Nate stood up. "This way, " He told Brax, with Heath and Bianca following behind.

Brax followed him in to a room and he found Ricky curled up on the bed. There was a bowl in front of her, she was bent over it.

"Rick?" He questioned. "You alright?" He had forgotten about being mad at her, but it seemed that Heath had taken over that anger.

"How dare you be irresponsible " He yelled.

"Mate, she's had a shock " Brax said, rubbing her back.

"I don't care! The crash was her fault"

"Heath, it was an accident " Bianca, always the voice of reason, tried to reassure Heath.

Ricky threw up, again. Brax rubbed her back.

"What's happening, doc?" He asked.

"It seems that Ricky is suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum "

"What's that?" Brax asked.

"It's a form of severe morning sickness. " Nate informed them. "The symptoms include dehydration, weight loss "

"I did find something else when I was examining you, "

"What?" She asked.

"I found a subchorionic hematoma" Nate said.

"What's that?"

"It's a type of blood clot, occurs in pregnancy. You have a risk of loosing that baby"

"Have I lost the baby?" She asked, fearfully.

"No, but it does increase your chances of having a miscarriage "

Ricky let out a sob.

"Shush, Rick, it's going to be ok. " Brax soothed her.

But Ricky didn't hear him. Memories flooded her mind.

 _It had been the day after the blast and Ricky was lying in a bed, in an unfamiliar hospital, waiting for news on her unborn child. She felt scared, not knowing the outcome, would her baby live?_

 _"Are you alright?" Heath asked, noticing her wince._

 _"The pain, it comes and goes " Ricky told him._

 _Nate walked away and come back, holding a Doppler._

 _"What are you doing?" Ricky asked._

 _"I'm going to find this baby's heartbeat myself " Nate told her, rolling up the hospital gown._

 _He put the gel on her stomach as she waited anxiously for the "thump, thump " of the unborn child inside of her._

 _She couldn't feel it._

 _"Heartbeats just take a while to find. " Nate informed her._

 _"I've lost my baby haven't I?"_

 _Nate nodded. "I'm so sorry "_

They were words she didn't want to hear again.

"I'm going to recommend complete bedrest "

"Great " Ricky rolled her eyes. For her, that meant no surfing.

"Ricky. " Brax scolded her, lifting her chin up. "Listen to what Nate has to say, please "

"Sorry, Nate " Ricky apologised.

"I understand your frustration, Ricky, but you have to think of the baby's health as well, as your own " Nate informed her.

"I know "

Nate nodded. "Let me know if you need anything "

"Thanks Doc " Brax said.

Hannah brought Ricky a kidney dish, just in case she needed it.

Nate rolled Ricky's top up and squirted the gel on to her stomach, Ricky grabbed Brax's hand. He put the doppler to her stomach and moved it around, trying to find the baby's heartbeat. Ricky stared at the -screen.

"There we go" Said Nate, he pointed out the baby's heart. "Do you want to know the gender?"

"No" Ricky shook her head, knowing that if she knew what was inside of her, she'd panic and if she admitted it, seeing her bump grow slightly bigger each day was reminding her that one day soon, she'd have to sign a document saying that she gave up her rights to baby Braxton.

* * *

Casey was in a cot, on the children's ward, a nurse was playing with him. He started to whinge, missing his mum and dad.

"Can Brax and I go and see Case?" Ricky asked.

"I'll get you a wheelchair, " Said Nate, he didn't want Ricky collapsing again.

"I'm alright "

"Does as the doc says " Brax told her, with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Fine " Ricky said.

"Good " Brax grinned, pleased that she had listened to him. Nate brought the chair over. Ricky sat in it and Brax took the handles, pushing it through the corridor and in to the lifts.

"Hey, mate " Ricky whispered, taking his hand.

Casey gazed at Ricky as she scooped him in to her arms, she didn't want to put him down.

"When can Case and I go home?"

"I'm going to keep you in for observation, " Bate told her, writing something down in her notes.

Ricky nodded as Nate left her to it. Brax sat in the chair beside her bed.

"Did you crash on purpose?" He questioned.

"What?" She was shocked.

"Did you crash, so you'd have a chance at losing the baby?"

Ricky stared at him, unable to believe what he was saying.

* * *

 **This was probably my favourite chapter to write.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Fanfiction. 79: Thank you for the review. I'm glad baby Casey and Ricky are alright too. She's not going to react well, either, I don't think.**

 **FrankElza: Thank you for the review. I'm glad you thought Heath's reactions suited the situation. You'll find out Ricky's answers in this chapter. It must have been scary for her, but I'm glad she hasn't lost the baby. I don't think I could have put her through that.**

* * *

The Surrogacy.

Chapter 17.

Ricky's POV. 

"Don't be stupid Brax, " I said. "I know what this baby means to Heath and Bianca. "

Brax took my hand, being careful of the IV in it. "I know you do, I just don't want you getting hurt "

"It'll be fine " I winced.

"Rick?" Brax questioned, concern in his voice.

"I'm fine" I say as I put a hand on my belly. "I think the baby is kicking. "

"Can I feel?" Brax asked.

I nod. "Sure "

Brax puts his hand on my stomach and his eyes softly meet mine, and I'm reminded of when I found out I was pregnant with Case.

Suddenly, the door to the room opens and Heath and Bianca walk in.

"Can we feel?" Bianca asks, spotting Brax's hand on my stomach.

I nod and Bianca puts her hand on my stomach.

"Hello, baby " She murmurs. "I'm your mummy "

I look at Brax as Nate comes to check on us.

"How are you feeling, Ricky?" He asks.

"I'm ok " I reply, thankful that the sickness has subsided for now.

Nate nods. "In that case, I say you can go home " He smiles, coming round to the side of the bed and taking the IV out.

"Great " Using my hands, I lean up on the bed and then swing my legs over the side.

"Are you going to get Case?" Bianca asked.

"Yeah " I nod, Brax's arm around my shoulder. We head to the lifts and Brax presses the button.

The doors open and we step in, Brax pulling me closer.

The doors open on the paediatric ward and we get out, walking in to the ward, telling the nurse on duty, who were here for.

"Casey Braxton " Brax informs her and we are led to a cot around the corner.

"Hey mate" I whisper leaning down and lifting him out.

Casey puts his hand in my hair and pulls. "Casey, stop" I tell him, as he grins cheekily at me, a smile just like his dad's as we head to the lifts again. We head out in to the car park and Brax unlocks the door settling Casey, putting a blanket over him.

Unlocking the door I walk in to the living room, check Casey's nappy, see he has done a poo and change it.

"You heard what the doc said, rest " Brax orders me, seeing me stand

I rolled my eyes at him, putting my legs up on the couch. "Yes, Brax "

Brax heads in to the bedroom, returning with a blanket, painkillers and a bucket. He presses a kiss to my forehead before sitting down. I lean against him, enjoying the comfort his arms offer me.

* * *

 **Loved writing this chapter. This was one of them chapters that was written on it's own.**

 **Next chapter: Heath and Bianca finish the nursery.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Darcy's a couple of years younger to what she is in the show. She's 12 instead of 15.**

 **I'm sorry this has taken me so long to write.**

 **Fanfiction. 79: Thank you for the review.**

 **FrankElza: Thank you for the review, I'm glad you liked the chapter. I'm glad you liked the** **interaction with Casey and the unborn child. It seems like Heath and Bianca are getting closer to their baby, but they aren't going to be happy when they discover Ricky's doubt over the baby. Also, thank you for checking this over.**

* * *

The Surrogacy. 

Chapter 18. 

Heath and Bianca were excited, the cot, carpet, changing table and wardrobe were coming today, it felt like they were one step closer to their baby, they couldn't wait to become parents to baby Braxton.

Bianca went to make Heath some sandwiches as he said that putting carpet down was hard work. She had laughed and went to make him some sandwiches and put them down on the floor.

"Thanks babe. " Heath smiled, kissing her cheek.

Ricky was tired, she had just finished her last shift at the restaurant, she was now on maternity leave, which for her meant lots of cuddles with her little man. She chucked her bag on the sofa.

"Are you ok?" Brax asked, kissing her cheek.

"I'm fine, " She smiled, sitting just on the couch, just as her phone went off in her handbag. She unzipped it and pulled out her phone, glancing at the display screen.

"It's Bianca. " She told Brax.

"What does she want?"

Ricky read the message before answering him. "She wants us to come over."

"Why?" Brax asked.

Ricky shrugged. "I don't know. "

"Let's go. " Brax said as he held his hands out to his partner. He then picked up Casey off the floor.

"Can I play with Casey?" Darcy asked as the couple arrived next door.

"Sure. " Ricky said as she handed Casey over to her. Darcy carried Casey in to the living room, while the adults went in to the kitchen, Heath made them all a coffee, but the smell made her feel sick. Brax noticed and he rubbed her back.

"How are you feeling?" Bianca asked her friend as they moved in to the living room, watching Darcy play with Casey.

Ricky was quiet for a moment as she thought about her condition. "Feel a bit sick. "

"Try a peppermint tea" Bianca suggested."They worked for me, when I was pregnant with Rocco. "

Ricky nodded, she hadn't been with Brax when Bianca had been pregnant with Rocco, but Brax had told her the story about how Bianca had put him down for a nap and when she had went to wake him up, she found him blue and unresponsive, it brought tears to her eyes, just listening to it and she hoped that the couple wouldn't experience the same ordeal with this baby.

"Come and see the baby's nursery " Bianca said.

"I don't know..." Ricky trailed off, she didn't want to upset her friend. So reluctantly she allowed Brax to pull her up off the couch and follow her friend to the bedroom. Bianca opened a door and Ricky walked carefully inside as Bianca stood by the door.

Ricky looked around. She was standing on blue carpet. (Heath and Bianca had asked her to keep the gender a secret until her delivery, but that didn't stop Heath guessing that she was carrying a baby boy, as he had said, Casey was a boy, her next one would be too) The cot was under the window, complete with a mattress, and blankets. And a teddy was on top of the blankets.

"It was Rocco's " Bianca said, her eyes filling with tears. "I thought the baby might like it"

Ricky rushed outside, taking breaths.

"I better go and see if she's ok" Brax said to his brother, who nodded.

"Rick, it's ok, I know everything's going to be ok"

"No, Brax, you don't!" Ricky snapped.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off angrily.

After that, the couple bid their goodbyes, Brax promising to meet up with Heath for a surf tomorrow.

Back at the flat, Brax put Casey in his cot after giving him a bottle. Then he headed to bed. But Ricky stayed in the living room, before heading to the kitchen to get a drink, she then looked through a magazine that Bianca had leant her.

Brax looked at the clock, wondering why Ricky hadn't come up to bed. He heard retching and groaning.

Brax walked in to the bathroom, it broke his heart to see his partner hunched over the toilet bowl, groaning in pain.

"Come here, " Brax held his arms out as Ricky leant in to them.

"I'm sorry, " Ricky whispered.

"What for?" Brax asked as he kissed her forehead.

"For earlier. "

"Don't worry about it " Brax told her.

Ricky moved closer in to his arms as he stroked her hair. He got her a glass of water and she took small sips. When she was finished, Brax took the glass from her and picked her up in his arms and carried her to their bedroom, taking her shoes off and pulling back the covers before replacing them back over her.

"I love you, Rick " Brax told her, kissing her forehead as he slid in beside her, his arms around her, protecting mother and baby, like he did when she had been pregnant with Casey.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Next chapter: Ricky attends her last scan before her birth.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Fanfiction. 79: Thank you for the review, I agree that it's going to be very hard on everyone involved in the situation.** **I don't think Ricky will be able to hand this baby over either.**

 **FrankElza: Thank you for the review and for checking this chapter over. I had to include Darcy as she'll be related to this baby. It is sweet how the couple are excited, I think they deserve some happiness after Rocco, whether they get it, who knows?**

 **I've got no excuses for not updating, expect writers block.**

* * *

The Surrogacy. 

Chapter 19. 

Ricky felt crampy, like she did when she nearing the end of her pregnancy with Casey, and she was still throwing up. She shouldn't be feeling like this in the late stages, she should be enjoying it.

"It'll be over soon, " Brax told her, seeing how exhausted she was.

"I know, " Ricky said, sounding defeated, for she knew, it was all going to blow up, when she revealed her plans.

"Try not to think about it. " Brax said as he stroked her hair.

"I can't help it, " She said, burying her face in his chest.

She lay in his arms for a while before they had to get up and get ready to go the their last doctors appointment, Marilyn was coming over to watch Casey.

The couple were meeting Heath and Bianca so they could all travel to the hospital.

Brax parked up while the others got out, heading in to the hospital, getting in to the lifts to head to "Maternity"

"Brax, Ricky, would you like to follow me?" Nate asked.

Ricky nodded and stood up, following Nate in to the room, with Brax, Heath and Bianca following behind. Ricky lay on the bed and rolled up her top, as Nate picked up the probe and applied gel to her abdomen before placing the probe on her stomach and moving it around.

Nate glanced at the screen.

"What?" Ricky asked anxiously, she couldn't bare if anything went wrong now.

"Nothing" Nate wanted to laugh at Ricky's worried expression, but he knew that it would be wrong to hurt his friends feelings. "It looks like you could go in to labour soon. "

"Thanks Nate, " Ricky replied.

"Take it easy. "

Ricky nodded as they all left the hospital, before dropping Heath and Bianca off home.

Brax called Nate over to the flat, concerned at how ill and tired she seemed.

"Where does it hurt?" Nate asked as he saw Ricky lying on the couch, beads of sweat on her face.

Nate put his hands on her belly and felt around.

Ricky pulled a face of pain as Nate touched a painful area.

"They are called Braxton Hicks"

 _"Braxton hicks"_ Ricky replied with a short laugh.

"What are they?" Brax asked.

"Well, it's usually when a Braxton is being annoying " Ricky smirked, rubbing her belly.

"Haha, " Brax laughed, kissing her lips.

When the two had finished kissing Nate spoke. "Braxton hicks are the body's way of telling the mother she is ready for labour. "

Ricky nodded, now remembering the pains she had, had with Casey's pregnancy. She'd tried a hot water bottle, a warm bath.

"Thanks doc " Brax said as he showed Nate to the door.

Once the door was shut and locked, Brax ran her a bath adding bubble bath and as she undid her dressing gown, letting it fall to the floor, was alarmed to see a gush of water running down her leg.

"Brax!"

* * *

 **Next chapter: Ricky goes in to labour.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Fanfiction. 79: Thank you for the review. I really feel for Ricky as well, you'll see if she hands her baby over in this chapter.**

 **FrankElza: Thank you for the review. I loved writing Ricky's little joke involving Braxton Hicks and Brax being annoying, so I'm glad you loved it. You'll see what Ricky says about the baby she has grown attached to in this chapter. I don't think Heath and Bianca will respond well to what Ricky has to say. Thank you for checking this chapter over.**

* * *

The Surrogacy. 

Chapter 20. 

"Brax!" Ricky screamed, staring at the pool of water by her feet.

Brax, hearing his partners screams, ran up the stairs to her.

"What's wrong, Rick?" He asked.

"My waters have broke. " She told him, fear etched on to her face.

Brax nodded, pulling his phone out of his jeans pocket and calling the hospital.

"Hello, Doctor Nate Cooper, speaking. "

"Nate, it's Brax's, Ricky's waters have broken. " Brax told him.

"Bring her in, " Nate told him.

"I will," Brax replied, hanging up. "Where's your hospital bag?" He asked. Over the last few days, she had been packing and putting things away so that she wasn't rushing when the day come.

"In... our... room... " Ricky gasped, breathing deeply.

Brax went in to their room and grabbed her bag and pulled some clothes out of the wardrobe before going back to her. "Marilyn is coming to watch Casey."

Ricky nodded, awkwardly pulling on the clothes, that Brax had given her, as she couldn't turn up at the hospital naked. She was bent over in pain. She had on a pair of black leggings and a plain white tee - shirt.

At that moment, the doorbell rang and Brax ran down the stairs to answer it. He then ran back up to help get Ricky out of her crouched position and help her down the stairs.

Ricky leaned on Brax as they walked down the stairs.

"Good Luck " Marilyn beamed as she held Casey. "Say bye to mummy Casey"

Ricky kissed her son's forehead. "Bye mate. " She whispered. Casey burbled in reply to his mother.

Brax then helped her in to the car. She strapped in and Brax got in the drivers seat and started the engine. He noticed Ricky was texting.

"Who are you texting?" He asked, although, deep down, he knew.

"Bianca. "

A few minutes later her phone pinged back. She read the message before speaking. "She said her and Heath will meet us at the hospital "

Brax just nodded as he concentrated on the roads.

The drive between them was silent, except for Ricky taking deep breaths.

"It'll be alright, " Brax told her, patting her knee.

"I... hope... so. " Ricky gasped and as he turned a corner another contraction come.

They eventually reached the hospital and Brax cut the engine, before glancing over at Ricky. He got out of the car, shut the door, ran quickly round to Ricky's side and opened the door.

Lifting Ricky in to his arms, Brax ran in to the hospital. "My partner is in labour "

"This way, Brax," Hannah said as she put a wheelchair in front of him, he lowered Ricky in to the chair as they went down the corridor to a side room. Hannah got Ricky a gown and helped her change in to it. Brax handed Hannah Ricky's birth plan.

Hannah unfolded the piece of paper. "You want gas and air?"

"Yes" Ricky whispered.

Hannah nodded and got the tube. She handed it over to Ricky who put the mouthpiece in to her mouth as she felt another contraction, remembering how to use it from Casey's birth.

Brax rubbed her back.

"I can't do it" Ricky said, tearfully, as she squeezed down on Brax's hand, she had naively thought that giving birth the second time would be easier, but she was wrong.

"Yes, you can. " Bianca, who had just walked in to the room, had a big smile on her face.

"Where's Heath?" Brax asked, still rubbing Ricky's back.

"He's parking the car. " Bianca replied.

"Right, " Brax replied as Ricky screamed as a contraction came.

"Just breath through it, " Bianca said, as Heath come in.

Ricky pulled her knees up to her chest as she panted.

"I can see the head " Nate announced.

Nate pulled the baby out and Ricky felt some tugging, but it was uncomfortable and wrapped it in a towel as it cried.

"It's a boy, congratulations " He said, laying him on Ricky's chest.

"What are you going to call him?" Nate asked.

"Nathan " Said Bianca. with happy tears in her eyes. "Nathan Braxton"

"He's beautiful, " Ricky said tiredly, closing her eyes.

Baby Nathan had inherited his fathers eyes and his mothers snub nose.

"Ricky!"

"Most new mums are tired after giving birth, Brax, leave her to rest. " Hannah said, seeing that her hand was still clasped in his.

Ricky's grip on Brax's hand loosened and she slumped back against the pillows, beads of sweat forming on her face, as blood started to pour from between her legs.

Nate put an oxygen mask on her face.

"Hannah call theatre. " Nate ordered.

Hannah nodded, picking up the phone and after talking to someone on the other end, looked up at Nate. "Theatre is free. "

Nate nodded as he and a porter started wheeling the bed from the room, towards the lift, wheeling her inside.

"What's happening?" Bianca asked, worried for the safety of her friend and child.

Hannah answered Bianca's question. "Ricky's suffered what we call a Postpartum Haemorrhage "

"What's that?" Bianca asked.

"It's where a woman suffers blood loss in labour " Hannah replied.

Nate pushed the stretcher through the double doors.

Nate gowned up and picked up the first tool he was going to use. He picked up the suction tube and suctioned away the blood, but more kept coming, he continued to suction, before picking up the scalpel and making an incision in her stomach. He pulled her uterus out through the incision and then started to stitch her up. He then wheeled her out, towards recovery where she would be monitored for a while.

"Brax, can I have a word?" Nate asked, walking down the corridor.

"Yep, "

"In my office?"

Brax followed Nate to the office and sat down on the chair.

"The surgery Ricky had was called Open Surgery Hysterectomy" Nate told him.

"How is she?"

"She's lost a lot of blood, "

"Can I see her?"

"Of course, " Nate said as he stood up, both men left the office to see the lift open and Ricky being wheeled out.

It killed Brax to see his partner lying so still on the bed; a surgery cap on her head, a oxygen mask on her face, an NG tube up her nose, a pulse oximeter on her finger. A needle in her arm. It briefly reminded him of Charlie and he couldn't lose Ricky.

Surgeons wheeled her in to a side room on a ward and moved her over on to the bed.

Brax sat by his partners bed, holding her hand, waiting for her to wake up.

Nate walked in, looking through Ricky's notes.

Ricky's eyes opened as she came round and she settled on Brax.

"How are you feeling?" Nate asked.

"How did it go?" She asked, frustrated that Brax wasn't telling her anything.

"In theatre, you lost a lot of blood, surgeons found it was coming from your uterus, they had to remove it, it was the only way to save your life. " Nate informed her, sadly.

"What would have happened if you hadn't removed it?" Ricky asked.

"You would have bled to death. " Nate told her.

"Where's my baby Nate?"

"Case is at home, Marylin is looking after him. " Brax answered, but he knew she didn't mean him and he hoped she wasn't going to neglect him.

"The baby is in ITU" Nate informed her.

"What did I have?"

"You had a son. Heath and Bianca are with him"

"He's my son!" Ricky yelled.

Brax moved from his chair and sat on the side of the bed, putting his hands on either side of her face. "He's not yours, "

"I want my baby Brax. "

"Well, then. " A voice spoke and the couple turned to see Heath, arms folded, standing in the doorway, a furious expression on his face. "You better prepare for a fight. "

"There's no need for that, mate. " Brax said, trying to keep the peace.

"She signed a contract Brax. " Heath replied.

Ricky looked down, remembering the day she had signed a contract called a Parental Order.

 _Ricky's Flashback_

 _"Rick, can you get the door, please?" Brax asked as he was giving Casey his morning bottle._

 _"Sure" Ricky replied, standing up and walking towards the door._

 _She unlocked it to see Heath, Bianca and a man in a smart suit. They walked in and sat on the couch in the living room._

 _"Who are you?"Brax asked, coming in to the living room._

 _The smartly dressed man stood up, holding out his hand. "I'm Daniel Mr and Mrs Braxton's solicitor. "_

 _Brax nodded._

 _"I'm here to oversee the legal side of the arrangement, Miss Sharpe has made with Mr Braxton and Mrs Scott"_

 _"What does that mean?"_

" _It means when the child is born, it will be handed over to Mr Braxton and Mrs Scott. " The solicitor, opened his briefcase and took out a document and placed it down on the table as Ricky glanced at her two friends._

 _"It's not that we don't trust you Rick, we do, it's just a precaution. " Heath told her, reading her mind, answering her unspoken words._

 _"If we didn't trust you, we wouldn't have asked you to carry our baby" Bianca added._

 _Ricky nodded, leaning forward to pick up the pen. She gave the document a quick read before seeing she had to sign her name at the bottom._

 _Erica Sharpe._

 _The solicitor filed the document, before leaving the house._

 _End of flashback_

Heath turned and walked out, towards his wife.

"Well. " Bianca asked, sitting on one of the seats at the end of the corridor, she was biting her nails anxiously, waiting for Heath to tell her, what she hoped, was good news.

Heath shook his head at his wife. "Ricky's refusing to give the baby up. "

Bianca let out a sob as Heath held her in his arms. How could her best friend destroy her dreams of becoming a mum? She didn't have Ricky down as a selfish person.

But then Heath reminded her of who her so called friend was related to. "Adam. "

"Ricky's not Adam. " Bianca replied.

"She's just as bad. " Heath lashed back.

Brax, hearing what his brother was saying about his partner, punched him.

"Brax, there's no need for that. " Bianca said, going to her husband. Heath was sitting down with his head between his knees, helping the blood stop, Bianca went to the toilets to get some tissues. Heath put them in his nostrils to stop the

"She's done a good thing. " Brax argued.

"By keeping our baby!" Bianca screamed back.

"I'm sorry, " Ricky whispered, standing by the door.

"Ricky, you shouldn't be out of bed. You've just had major surgery. " Nate informed her, an unimpressed look on his face.

"I'm fine Nate, " She looked up at Bianca, who spoke.

"I know this is hard. "

"No, you don't, " The tears rolled down her cheeks, mirroring Bianca's reflection.

"But please give us the baby, you can see him anytime you want. " Bianca looked, pleading at Ricky.

"I can't. " Ricky shook her head, slowly. "He's mine. "

Heath walked over to Ricky and slapped her.

"Oi" Brax shouted, shocked that Heath would do that.

"I deserved it Brax " Ricky replied, putting a hand to her cheek. She walked back inside the room with Brax as Heath and Bianca left the hospital, both with a sinking feeling in their hearts, they thought they would be leaving the hospital with their baby in their arms.

"Back to bed" Nate said, sternly.

Ricky got back on to the bed and Brax joined her as he stroked her hair, but they both didn't get much sleep that night as they were in for a fight. A fight in which Ricky didn't know if she could win and if by some miracle she did win it, would Brax stand by her?.

As if he could sense her worries, he stroked her hair, murmuring that everything would be alright, but she knew if this caused a rift between the brothers she would never forgive herself.

Brax was texting Marylin, asking if she could take Casey back to hers and John's for the night, Marylin replied that of course she could and then asked how Ricky was. Brax glanced over at his sleeping partner and kissed her on her forehead, before replying. "She'll be fine, "

Heath pulled in to the drive and turned off his engine, before turning to look at Bianca who was staring at the empty looking car - seat, she should have had baby Nathan in there, wrapped up in blankets. Then Bianca would lift him in to her arms and carry him careful in to the house, where the proud parents would introduce him to his new sister. She was brought from her thoughts as Heath opened her door for her and almost carrying her in to the house, only for her phone to bleep when Heath sat on the couch with her. She sighed, having no interest in answering it.

Heath picked it up. "It's Ricky. "

Bianca sighed, as Heath showed the message.

 **"I'm sorry guys"**

Bianca threw her phone against the wall, as it hit the wall, cracking her screen, which was a picture of Heath and Rocco.

Heath kissed her head, he knew that's all he could do at the moment until Ricky saw sense.

Pulling Bianca off the sofa, Heath led her in to hallway and pushed her gently towards the stairs, Bianca stared at them for a while, before Heath took her hand and led her up them, across the landing and to their room. He nudged the door open with his shoulder and led Bianca. For once, Bianca couldn't be bothered getting undressed and collapsed on the bed, angry tears making there way down her cheeks. Heath joined her on the bed as he opened his wallet, him and Bianca both staring at the ultrasound of baby Nathan.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading, I really enjoyed writing this chapter.**

 **Next chapter: The fall out continues.**


	21. Chapter 21

**FrankElza: Thank you for the review. I'm glad you** **thought I did a good job on Ricky's labour/ blood loss, I really, really enjoyed writing that chapter. Thank you for checking this chapter over.**

* * *

The Surrogacy.

Chapter 21. 

Kyle woke to a banging sound on the door. He groaned, it was his day off from Angelo's and he had no plans for the day, except to tidy the house as it was a mess. Plates were stacked up in the sink, his room was a mess, with clothes scattered across the floor, his guitar lay on floor by the bed.

"Kyle, open up. "

Realising that his ex - girlfriend wasn't going to go away, Kyle got out of bed and walked towards the door, unlocking it.

"Have you heard the news?" Phoebe said as she bounded in to the house, sitting down on the couch.

"What news Phoebe?" Kyle was confused.

"Ricky's had a baby boy. Called Nathan. Yesterday at 3 PM." Phoebe held up her phone to show Kyle the picture her friend had sent her. In the picture, a tired Ricky was holding a baby, wrapped in a blanket, in her arms.

Kyle read the caption, which Ricky had written underneath the photo.

 _"Sore, but glad to have this little man in my arms"_

Kyle quickly went in to his room and put some clothes on before walking back out and heading to Heath's with Phoebe.

"Hey mate, I should say congratulations " Kyle said after Heath had opened the door. Kyle noticed both he and Bianca had bags under their eyes. "Little man didn't sleep through?" He asked, assuming that's why they were bags under his brother's and his wife's eyes.

At this, Bianca burst in to tears.

"What's wrong?" Kyle asked, alarmed.

"Ricky won't give us the baby, says she's keeping him" Heath told his brother, there was bitterness in his voice.

"You can kind of see her point though"

Kyle give his ex - girlfriend a look, a look which said he wasn't impressed with her.

"What, I'm only speaking the truth. Kyle she lost blood while delivering. Nate had to remove her uterus, he says that Nathan was her last chance to have a baby"

Bianca looked up, she had seen Ricky being rushed off to surgery, but was unaware that she had lost her uterus.

"Maybe she's changed her mind," Bianca said hopefully. "Now she's had a good night sleep. I was irritable after Rocco"

"You were" Heath laughed, quietly. "You went crazy"

Bianca took a swipe at her husbands arm, smirking slightly, despite herself.

Heath's face had a mock wounded look on it.

Back at the hospital, Brax and Ricky (who was in a wheelchair) had just been to see baby Nathan.

"He was tiny Brax" Ricky said, with a wobble in her voice, tears in her eyes.

"Well, he was a month premature " Brax replied.

"So was Case" Ricky replied.

"Yep," Brax said as he come to her room, he turned the wheelchair slightly as he wheeled her in to the room, he put the chair by the bed, but the brakes on it and then helped Ricky out of the chair as she winched, rubbing her tummy.

"What's wrong?" Brax asked, he hated seeing her in pain.

"Sore" Ricky replied, getting under the covers.

Nate walked in, holding a plastic bag.

"Medication and something to help you sleep if you need it, " he had prescribed her sleeping tablets after Casey's birth as well.

"Thanks" Ricky took the bag off him and put it in her handbag.

"Are you breast feeding or bottle feeding?" Nate asked.

Ricky hadn't thought of that, but she had fed Casey a bottle since birth, and she decided to give baby Nathan a bottle.

Nate nodded and informed her that Hannah would be through to show her how to feed.

Hannah come in a few minutes later, holding a bottle which had milk in. She handed it to Ricky.

"Tilt the teat slightly" said Hannah as she watched Ricky hold baby Nathan across her shoulder.

"Come on, mate" Ricky said, as she held the bottle to his lips, he opened his mouth to suck on the teat. "That's it, " She said as she watched him suck, when he had finished, she burped him.

"Can you bring Case in? I want him to met his brother. " Ricky said.

"Ricky" Brax groaned, running a hand over his face. "To be brothers, I would have had to father Nathan, I didn't."

"Kyle's your brother Chez isn't his mother. "

"But Kyle's blood. "

"Nathan's my blood. " Ricky replied, getting heated up.

"No, he's not!" Brax yelled back. He was beginning to lose patience with his partner. "He belongs to Heath and Bianca, and deep down, I think you know that."

"What are saying?" Ricky asked, fearful of his tone of voice.

"I'm saying it's me or him. "

"Brax. "

"I'm going for a surf. " Brax waved a hand in her direction dismissively.

 _Ricky's POV_

 _I thought that having a baby for my best friend would be easy, but I was wrong. He's a day old, and already he's coming between Brax and I. But I can't let him go, he's mine. I felt him kick for the first time at the hospital._

 _"Ow" I pulled a face, as Brax stopped what he was doing and looked at me._

 _"Rick?"_

 _"I think the baby is kicking" I replied._

 _Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I look down at my baby, who is looking up at me, with his eyes, he needs me to protect him and I will do that. I press a kiss on to his forehead as he makes a noise, before putting him down in the crib._

 _End of Ricky's POV_

 _Brax's POV_

 _I paddle in to the water, waiting for a wave, when one comes, I ride it and in a rare moment, I fall off my board. The board drifts away from me, I swim towards it and get back on it before turning around and walking out of the water. I pick my towel up and dry myself off before picking my board back up and leaving the beach._

 _I re_ _turn to the hospital after my surf, I'd dropped my board off home and head back to the hospital._

 _"Have you made your decision?" I asked, walking in to her room._

 _"He's coming home with us, " She tells me._

 _I consider arguing, but Ricky gives me a look which I recognise as "I don't want to talk about this, Brax"_

 _"Tough" I said. I sit on the bed and take her hands in my own. "How would you feel if Bianca had a baby for us and refused to give it up?" I ask, twisting our situation around._

 _"Hurt" She mutters._

 _"Yep" I said._

 _I put Nathan in to the car seat, we had to buy another one as Case still needed his, and Ricky eases herself off the bed, dressed in a purple long sleeved top and grey joggers, which she uses as pj's._

 _End of Brax's POV_

Heath noticed Brax's car pull up on to the drive, he walked out of the house as Ricky leaned on Brax as he led her in to the house. He come storming out of the house, shouting the odds at her.

"Heath, don't" Ricky said, tiredly, with a yawn to prove it.

"I don't care"

"Be quiet Heath, Nathan and Case are asleep. "

"This isn't right and you know it. " Heath jabbed a finger in her face.

"I'm sorry, I can't help how I feel. " Ricky said, the bonds she felt with both of her children, were more precious to her than anything.

Ricky stared after him.

Brax walked over to her and put his arms around her. "It'll be alright, "

"I'm ruining everything I care about. "

Bianca looked at Heath as she heard the door slam.

"Well, " Bianca looked at her husband and then down at the moses basket she had ordered online, complete with white blankets.

"We are going to court. " Heath told his wife. "Erica Sharpe is not getting away with this. "

Baby Nathan whimpered so Ricky lifted him in to her arms and rocked him from side to side, but he still continued to cry.

Brax took Nathan out of Ricky's arms, to give her a bit of a break.

Ricky ran, leaving Brax to stare after her as she left him with two screaming children.

Ricky ran, as the tears flowed down her cheeks as she stared out at the sea, wondering why she was so emotional, it was her hormones she knew it, Brax and her children would be much better off without her.

Sensing what she was up to Brax left the kids, with Heath and Bianca, who were overjoyed to have the babies in her house.

Ricky almost snatched baby Nathan out of her arms and stormed out of the house, Brax noticed that she was shaking with anger.

"We'll see you in court" Heath threatened, confident that a judge would give them the baby as Ricky had broken her contract.

Back home Ricky collapsed on the couch, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Hey, hey" Brax said as he brushed her hair (which was in need of a wash) off her face.

"They hate me. "

"They don't, they are just angry. " Brax rubbed her arms.

He pulled the chair out for her and she sat down, wondering what Brax was going to serve up. Knowing that she was exhausted, but still needed to eat, he put two slices of toast in front of her along with a cup of tea.

He kissed her cheek.

"Thank you for being there for me"

Brax walked over to her and said seriously. "I'm not going anywhere Ricky"

Ricky nodded as Brax stroked her cheek, winching slightly as he brushed over the bruise, which was forming on her cheek, she was relieved she would still have him.

Walking slowly back in to the living room, Ricky carefully lifted Nathan in to her arms, as he made a muffling noise.

"Where's he going to sleep?" Brax suddenly asked.

"Our room?" Ricky suggested.

"We only have one cot Ricky" Brax told her and that was Casey's cot.

"I could sleep with him in my arms"

"No!" Brax said sharply.

"What?" Ricky asked, confused, at his raised voice as baby Nathan cried.

"Sleeping with a baby in your arms can be a symptom of cot death" Brax said, recalling when Heath told him, after Rocco's post mortem report had come back.

"I'm sorry" Ricky said quietly, rocking Nathan.

"We could put him in a box" Brax suggested.

"Don't be stupid. " Ricky replied, rolling her eyes.

Brax walked in to the kitchen and was heard rooting around, before coming out and holding a box.

"No. " Ricky said. "We could ask Bianca?"

Brax checked his watch. "It's late. You should be resting"

Ricky nodded, looking down at baby Nathan in her arms. She started to climb the stairs, Brax following with Casey in his own arms as he followed his partner in to the room. He lay Casey down in the cot, covering him with his blanket. Ricky sat on the edge of the bed, baby Nathan still in her arms.

"What about his car seat?"

Brax sighed, they were running out of options here. "Alright, just for one night. "

Ricky nodded and gently placed baby Nathan in to his car seat, before covering him with a blanket, placing the two baby monitors on the side table. Brax pulled the covers back as he watched his exhausted partner get in, he moved closer to her, kissing her on the cheek.

"Love you, Rick"

"I love you too" Ricky replied, sleepily, feeling Brax slip an arm around her and she pulled out of his embrace.

"What's wrong?"

Ricky lifted her PJ top up to see blood was overflowing on the dressing which was covering her stitches.

"It'll just need changing, you heard what the doc said" Brax left the bedroom, walked down the stairs and in to the kitchen, coming up the stairs a few minutes later.

Ricky bit down on her lip as she pulled the plaster off, grabbed a wipe, cleaned up the blood and put on the new plaster, she couldn't wait for a week later when she got her stitches removed.

* * *

 **Next chapter: Ricky gets her stitches removed.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Fanfiction. 79: Thank you for the review. There was a lot of drama in Ricky's labour chapter, which I really enjoyed writing. I agree with you, that she is all over the place, she most probably does need to talk to someone. It is difficult for Brax, he is trying to support his girlfriend, but he also doesn't want to lose his brother, after Casey's death.**

 **Fanfiction. 79: Thank you for the review. I'm glad you thought it was a well written chapter. Before I started watching HA properly and fell in love with the Braxtons, I watched a few clips and thought Heath was a bit immature, but now he's probably my favourite male Braxton, first being Brax, but I do agree, it probably wasn't the right approach to take with Ricky, he could have gave her a few days, she'd just been hit with life - changing news which will affect her for some time, I think.**

 **FrankElza: Thank you for the review and thanks for looking the chapter over. I'm glad you loved the relationships between the two couples, I think it will cause tension between them as both women desperately want the baby and one of them are going to end up broken by the result if Heath goes through with the court case, which, you guys, as readers will probably see in a few chapters time.**

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The Surrogacy. 

Chapter 22. 

"You look exhausted. " Brax said as he spotted his girlfriend in the kitchen, pouring water in to a mug. She had dark circles under her eyes and she looked like she hadn't slept much. That was because baby Nathan had cried every time she tried to put him down in his car seat, and it reminded her of when Casey was a newborn and she was glad that he didn't wake up in the night, he was usually fast asleep after a bottle of milk and a story.

"Really know how to make a girl feel special, don't you, Brax" She smiled tiredly at him as she opened the cupboard door and reached for a mug. "Coffee?"

"I'll make it. " Brax said, taking the mug off her. "I've been thinking.. "

"Oh, careful" Ricky joked, sitting down at the table.

"You should talk to someone. "

"Why, it's not going to change anything. " She replied, her jokiness, replaced by a serious tone.

"It might help you deal with what's happened to you. " Brax said, opening a draw and picking up a spoon, before giving the mug a stir.

"I lost blood, my uterus. " Ricky replied, sarcastically, picking up her mug and taking a sip.

"Nate had to give you a blood transfusion to replace the blood you lost, you needed 6 bags. " Brax told her, shocked at how sarcastic she was being, it was like she was trying to detach herself from the situation, but he knew that she was also trying to hold on to Nathan. "Start taking this seriously"

She gasped, stunned at this new piece of information, as her hand travelled over her stomach, she still had a bit of a bump, but she knew with sensible eating and gentle exercise she would get back to the weight she was after Casey's birth.

"Hey. " Brax said, circling his arms around her as she pulled away.

A baby wailed then, wanting attention. Ricky, wanting an excuse to escape, got up from the table and walked up the stairs to see which boy of hers, wanted attention, it turned out to be Nathan.

"Mummy's here, mate. " She said as she picked him up and rocked him in her arms, she lay him back down in the cot.

She decided to go for a bath. Heading in to the bathroom, she put the plug in, as she rubbed her tummy, bending down had put pressure on her wound. Once the tub was filled with warm water, she turned off the taps and took off her pj's before lowering herself in to the water and lying back, allowing the warm water to soothe her body. Picking up the shampoo bottle she lathered it in to her roots, before pulling the shower down and switching it on, as the warm water hit her, she shut her eyes as she felt the water wash away the shampoo, next she picked up the conditioner and massaged it in to her roots, she washed away the conditioner, before giving her hair a squeeze making sure that the access water was out of her hair.

She raised herself out of the bath and wrapped her hair in a towel and wrapped another one around her body, before unlocking the door, heading in to the bedroom. She sat down on the bed and dried herself off, before putting on some clothes, and then unravelling the towel, she brushed her hair and left it to dry.

Ricky walked down the stairs, just in time to hear some knocked on the door, reaching the last step, she turned and headed for the door.

"Heath, what are you doing here?" Asked Ricky, glancing at Brax, she didn't want another argument.

"Bianca and I have been talking. We don't think its a good idea to drag you through court while your still recovering"

"Thanks mate"

"I'm not your mate, Ricky, a mate doesn't go back on their word, like you did!" Heath yelled at her.

Ricky looked down, ashamed, this wasn't going to get better, it was only going to get worse. Heath walked off as Brax shut the door.

That afternoon, the couple had an appointment with Nate to remove her stitches. Nate got the equipment he needed to remove her stitches.

Lying back on the bed, Ricky pulled her top as Nate put a pair of gloves on. He picked up the first instrument he needed to remove her stitches. He soaked the scissors and tweezers in a bowl of warm water, for a few minutes, and then let them dry on a paper towel, he then doused then with in rubbing alcohol. He gathered some bandages. He made sure the area was clean, before picking up the tweezers and unpeeled her plaster, before unknotting the first stitch, then he cut the suture, before he pulled the thread through, then he put it in the kidney dish, and then he continued to remove the stitches. After he was finished, he cleaned the wound.

"Can you organise someone to talk to Ricky?" Brax asked.

 _"I'm not talking to a shrink "_ Ricky secretly thought.

"I can arrange that. " Nate told them.

"Thanks doc. " Brax told him as Ricky got off the bed.

Leaning against her supportive partner, they left the hospital, as Nate slipped a piece of paper in to his hand. Brax unlocked the door and held the door open for her.

Heath had picked Darcy up from Connie's, she had chatted none stop about how she couldn't wait to meet her new baby brother, Heath didn't have the heart to tell her that the baby wasn't in the house. How could he explain that her uncles partner had decided to keep him? Glancing at her hopeful face in the mirror, Heath felt his heart sink as he pulled in to the drive, turning the engine off as Darcy grabbed her bag and opened the door.

"Hey Darc " Bianca greeted her step daughter as she walked in, giving the girl a hug.

Darcy hugged her step mum back as Heath greeted his wife with a kiss, Bianca whispering. "Have you told her?"

Heath shook his head. "I couldn't"

"Heath, that was your job" Bianca told him, as Darcy looked between her step mum and Dad, wondering what was going on.

"Where's the baby?" She asked excitedly.

"He's with Ricky" Bianca said, quietly.

"Why?"

"Because she wants to keep him. " Bianca continued, quietly and Heath knew it was killing her to say the words.

"Can I see him?"

"Let's go. " Heath told his daughter, Bianca walking out after them, knowing that Ricky wasn't going to be happy. Brax opened the door, wondering what his brother wanted.

"Uncle Brax " Darcy said, excitedly.

"Hey Darc, " He replied, ruffling her hair.

They all entered the house, heading in to the living room.

"Where's Nathan?" Bianca asked.

"Upstairs" Ricky answered, reluctantly.

Ricky glanced at Darcy.

"Can I?" Darcy asked.

"He's too little" Ricky said.

"You can't crush a kid's dream of meeting her younger brother" Heath told her, angrily.

Ricky took a deep breath as she answered. "Sure. Darc he's in our room. " She told her, as she headed up the stairs with her.

Darcy excitedly headed up the stairs and entered her uncle's room. Ricky lifted Nathan from the cot as Darcy sat on the bed and she gently lowered him in to Darcy's arms. Darcy looked down at her new baby, who snuffled in response, before opening his eyes and looking up at his big sister. Ricky took him off her as they headed downstairs as she didn't want Darcy to drop him. Darcy sat on the couch in the living room as Ricky placed baby Nathan carefully in her arms.

"Dad, he's like Rocco. " Darcy said as she held him.

"Yeah he is, " Heath replied quietly, he and Bianca both knew that Rocco would have made a great big brother, he shot Ricky a look. Ricky knew what that look meant.

"Yes, you can hold him" she told Bianca, not making eye contact with the woman who had once been her best friend, the trust was broken between them, it would take a while to build back up and Ricky didn't know if either of then would get that back.

Watching Bianca take hold of Nathan and the delighted expression on her face as she took hold of her son, he cried not used to being in another woman's arms. The small baby, dressed in a white baby grow, continued to wail, Bianca looked up and spoke, what she said, shocked Ricky.

"Legally, I'm his mum" Bianca said.

"No!" Ricky exploded, flushing with anger. "Just get out. I have the right to keep him, considering I carried him"

Brax, Bianca, Heath and Darcy all stared at her, leaving her partner worried that this was more than the baby blues. Walking out of the kitchen, he headed in to the living room to pick up his phone, and reached in to his jeans pocket for a piece of paper and unfolding it he imputed the number in and dialled, as the voice on the other end spoke.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Darryl Braxton here,"

"Hi Darryl, my name's Maria, I believe, Doctor Cooper gave you my number?"

"He did"

"I'm ringing about counselling sessions for mv partner, Erica, she's recently given birth, to a baby for my brother and she's not coping very well. "

Brax heard rustling of pages and then the voice spoke. "How is she not coping?"

"She's not interacting much with our son, Casey, he's a year old, she's preferring to spend time with the son she had for my brother, "

"I have a free window tomorrow" Maria told him. "Why don't you bring Casey a long to see how Erica interacts with him?"

"Cheers" Said Brax as the call ended. He tucked his phone back in to his pocket, wondering how Ricky would react if she knew what he had done. He walked in to the kitchen as a thought occurred to him.

"Don't we need to registrar his birth?" Brax asked.

Ricky nodded. "Yes"

"Right, we'll do it tomorrow before our counselling session"

"What?"

"You need to talk to someone, it's not healthy"

Ricky turned and glared at him. "I'm coping fine"

"Heath's threatening to take us to court, Rick! I don't call that fine"

"He won't" Ricky said.

"He will do. " Brax knew that he and his brothers were no strangers, and him and Ricky both had previous with the cops.

Ricky closed her eyes, she knew Heath, Bianca and now Darcy were hurting but so was she, how was she going to cope if a judge ruled that baby Nathan belonged to his intended parents. She didn't know if she would.

Folding her arms and resting them on the table, she let out a cry.

From behind, Brax wrapped his arms around her, feeling her lean in to him, as she took a breath, she was going to give herself hiccups soon and she didn't want that to happen. Noticing this, Brax grabbed a glass from the side and filled it with water, before handing it to her.

"Why don't you go to bed?" Brax said.

"Sure" she pulled the chair out and walked out of the kitchen, heading up the stairs, she felt like her legs were heavy.

Walking in to the bedroom, she shut the door and sunk down on to the comfy looking bed. Putting on her pj's, she pulled back the covers and sat down on the mattress, placing the glass on the side.

Tossing and turning, she dropped in the dream that unsettled her:

 _Ricky's Dream_

 _Herself, Brax and Heath, Bianca were all in court, dressed in their finniest, which only come out for occasions such as: court, weddings, funerals, Ricky herself was wearing a black dress with heels, they were sat in court, the judge was a woman and Ricky felt nervous, Brax was sitting beside her. On the other side of him, Heath and Bianca were sitting, all 3 children were with Marilyn, they hadn't told her were they were going, just that the two babies and Darcy needed minding for a few hours. She had sheets of paper on the desk in front of her, she looked over them._

 _"I award, that custody goes to Heath Braxton and Bianca Scott" The judge said._

 _Ricky screamed as a judge said them words, tuned out as a judge informed them that an officer and social services would be coming home to oversee Ricky handing baby Nathan over to his parents._

 _With Brax guiding her from the court room, she didn't notice the tears rolling down her cheeks as her partner drove her home as she stared out of the window._

 _'"Rick..."_

 _"I'm great" she told him, but that was a big lie._

 _"You knew this was going to happen, " Brax told her, stopping at a set of lights._

 _"I know"_

 _The lights turned green as Brax countinued to drive home, with the sociol service car following behind them, Brax turned in to the drive and cut the enginge, pulling the keys out of the ignition. Pulling his keys out of his pocket, he pushed them in to the lock as the door opened. She headed straight upstairs to have a few minutes alone with little Nathan before she had to hand him over._

 _Blinking back the tears she could feel stinging her eyes, her heart broke as she picked baby Nathan up from the cot and kissed his forehead. "I'll always love you, " She told the young baby as she walked down the stairs and stood in the living room as Heath and Bianca's solicitor entered the room._

 _"The court states you have to have the child over to Mr and Mrs Braxton, Miss Sharpe" Daniel told Ricky._

 _"Yeah, I know" Ricky muttered, as Daniel pulled a document out of his case._

 _"What's this?"_

 _"This will transfer Miss Sharpe's rights over to Mr and Mrs Braxton. " Daniel told them._

 _"Fine" Ricky sounded like she wanted to be elsewhere but in the house as she signed her rights over._

 _"Congratulations_ _Mr and Mrs Braxton" Daniel said as he left._

 _Bianca held her son in her arms as Heath looked at him. "He's definitely got the Braxton gene" He said as the baby let out a scream. The couple left the house to start their new lives with their son._

 _The next morning Ricky woke before Brax, and had decided to go for a surf, she wanted to clear her head._

 _"Rick!" Heath shouted, spotting her on the beach._

 _The blonde ignored him as she raced towards the waters edge, sliding her board in to the water and laying down on it, before paddling out and waiting for a wave. Heath got on his board beside her as she started paddling faster to get away from Heath. The waves weren't good sob early in the morning so she got out, as did Heath._

 _Heath caught her arm, she shook him off_

 _"Leave me alone, Heath " She said._

 _"I just want to talk. "_

 _"I'm done talking " she replied, walking off._

 _After heading home, she walked in to the kitchen and pulled the fridge door open, grabbing a beer._

 _"What are you doing?" Brax asked, washing Nathan's bottle._

 _"Having a drink"_

 _Brax glanced at his watch, it was 8:42, even he didn't start drinking this early in the morning. "Nathan and Case have had their bottles"_

 _"Great" She rolled her eyes, taking a swig._

 _"You shouldn't be drinking!"_

 _"I've got nothing left to live for " Ricky said._

 _Brax looked horrified. "You've got me, Case, we love you. "_

 _"I know, Brax"_

 _"Come here" Brax pulled her in to a hug._

 _Ricky rested her head on his shoulder as she cried._

 _End of Ricky's Dream._

Ricky woke up with sweat trickling down her back, her mouth felt dry and she looked around her, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, reaching for her dressing gown, and heading downstairs, heading in to the kitchen, she grabbed a piece of paper from the pad she kept on the fridge and write a quick note, it consisted of a few words.

 _"I need to get away, please don't hate me. Ricky "_

Making sure she had everything she needed for both babies who were wrapped up in their car seats, she unlocked the door and placed Nathan inside first, before reaching for Casey's car seat.

Brax rolled his arm over Ricky's space, expecting to find her there, instead his head met with empty sheets.

"What the hell? Ricky?" Brax sat up and swung his legs over the bed, seeing Casey's cot and Nathan's car seat empty and gone, then he heard a roar of a car engine starting. Brax ran down the stairs and yanked open the door, standing on the path in just his undies.

Brax grabbed her arm, tightening his grip around her. "Don't do this!"

"I have to" She said, pulling her arm out of his grasp and moving towards the drivers seat.

"You don't have to. It's not going to look good for you in front of a judge if you run off, Ricky" Brax scolded her.

"I know" She whispered, she remembered when she was arrested over her part in Adam's plan, she had spent the night in a prison cell, and even though, she hadn't said anything to Brax, it had secretly scared her in to breaking free from Adam and trying to turn her life around, some days later, one of Adam's contacts had contacted her about a job, threatening her new kindled relationship if she didn't, in the end she had to change her number and then she had to face Casey, the pain on his face, pain which she had unintentionally caused, her words of "I'm sorry, Case" did little to reassure the lad that she was truly sorry for the suffering she'd caused.

Nodding Brax reached for both car seats and took them inside, as Ricky followed him. Brax took the babies upstairs, and spent a few minutes settling them.

"They are fast asleep, " Brax said as he walked in to the living room.

And so was Ricky. Taking her shoes off, he draped a blanket over her and kissed her forehead, before turning out the light and heading up the stairs to bed himself, stopping to look at the pictures that the wall displayed. Him and Ricky as kids, him teaching her how to surf when she had been 10 and he had been 13, the thought of it brought a smile to him.

 _Brax's flashback_

 _Brax had moaned at Cheryl to let him and Heath go the beach as they were bored of sitting in the house, Cheryl was sick of her kids moaning at her, she didn't need this, she was heavily pregnant with her third child and her no good hubby was no where to be seen._

 _"Go on then, go" She shooed her two children, who went and grabbed their boards from the back, racing excitedly through the hallway. "Darryl, keep an eye on your brother"_

 _"Will do mum" Brax shouted as the door was open and then closed._

 _At the beach,_ _Brax and Heath bumped in to Ricky and her brother Adam, who looked like he would rather be doing anything else than babysit his younger sister._

 _"Oi, Brax, watch Ricky would, ya?" Adam said, without waiting for a reply, he walked off._

 _"Come on, Rick" Brax called, "I'll teach you how to surf"_

 _Ricky pouted and stayed rooted to the spot, Brax realising she was worried._

 _"It's easy, look. " Brax told her as he watched his brother. "Be careful, Heath" Brax added as he watched his brother strip off to his shorts and look for a space to put his board, the beach was unusually empty for a Saturday morning, Heath found a space to put his board and waited for a wave._

 _Ricky said nothing._

 _"I'll be behind you" Brax assured her._

 _"Sure" She whispered, quietly as she got on the board,_ _Brax pushed her out, staying behind her as they moved away from the shallow end of the water and waited for a wave. Seeing one, Brax told her to have her feet slightly apart on the board as he attached the leash to her foot, which would keep her afloat if she drifted apart from her board._

 _Lying down on it, she allowed Brax to give her a push as a wave come._

 _"Brax" Ricky whimpered, the fear in her voice was clear in her voice._

 _"You'll be fine, the Erica Sharpe, I know isn't scared of anything "_

 _Ricky grinned, as a wave come; the small girl managed to catch it and smiled._

 _"Well done" Brax praised her as he surfed a wave himself. He was impressed, he knew it wasn't easy to get to grips with a board the first time and some new surfers usually fell off their board, going underwater for a few minutes as they panicked, gasping for breath. Some surfers swallowed water and some coughed it up once they had been dragged back to the beach._

 _After a few more of the older boy surfing, with the younger girl sitting on a towel, she had to admit, she was having more fun with Brax and Heath than Adam. That morning, when she told her mum she was going the beach, her mum had told her Adam was going to go with her, Ricky had given up protesting that she would be fine on her own, she went upstairs and grabbed a big bag and started to put in a towel, cream, sunglasses, and a book in case she got bored. Slinging, the bag over her shoulder, she left her room and walked down the stairs, grabbing her house keys._

 _Seeing Brax walk out of the water, she stood up and folded her towel before putting it in to her bag and placing the bag on her shoulder as her and Brax made their way off the beach_

 _"Where's Heath?" Ricky asked._

 _"He wants to stay surfing for a bit, "_

 _"Won't Cheryl mind?" Ricky asked, glancing up at him._

 _"Nah" Brax said as they come to the juice bar._

 _Pulling some money out of his shorts pocket, he paid the man and carried them over to the table._

 _Grabbing a juice, the two young friends sat in comfortable silence sipping their drinks that Brax had brought. After dropping Ricky home to her mum, he and Heath headed home, Brax grabbing a warm shower before Heath used up the water, once Heath had come out of the shower, a towel around his waist, as he headed in to his room. He heard his phone ding and he unlocked it, seeing a text from Ricky._

 **"Thanks for teaching me how to surf"**

 _He selected a new text, before replying._

 **"No problem "**

 _Just then Heath walked in to the bedroom, and grinned. "What?" Brax asked._

 _"Nothing bro"_

 _"Heath, I know that look"_

 _Heath grinned again. "I met a girl"_

 _"Good on you mate, what's her name?"_

 _"Bianca. She's a babe. "_

 _"Heath, don't talk about women like that, " Brax said, irritably._

 _"I'm meeting her for a coffee tomorrow, you and Rick should come along. "_

 _"Nah, mate, we're good. "_

 _Heath nodded and left the room, getting his sleep in for his date tomorrow._

 _For Heath, the next day come round and he was up early, looking through his clothes to find something that would sweep Bianca off her feet. He decided on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt, he put on some aftershave and chose a pair of flip-flops to wear._

 _He was meeting Bianca at the juice bar at 11:30, and then they were going for a drive._

 _Bianca was the first to arrive at the juice bar, she waited outside for Heath, smiling when she first saw him._

 _"Hey Bianca" Heath said, kissing her on the cheek._

 _"Hey Heath" She replied, kissing him back._

 _"Tell me about yourself" Bianca asked, once they had sat at a table near the window._

 _"I'm an only child. " Bianca told him._

 _"I have a brother, Darryl, and a brother on the way. "_

 _Bianca smiled, taking a sip of her coffee, seeing it was empty she placed it in the bin behind her._

 _After they had their coffees, it was a walk around the beach, Heath holding her hand._

 _By the end of the night, Heath as the gentleman, he was, escorted Bianca back to her house._

 _"Thanks Heath" Said Bianca, as they both stood on her doorstep, Heath ducking his head to kiss her but he accidentally caught her lips, most women would be furious but Bianca just laughed and pushed him in the chest. Heath laughed with her as he started walking back to his house. He headed up the stairs._

 _"Good night?" Brax asked his brother, calling to him through his open door._

 _"Yeah, mate, she's a cool girl" Heath replied, sitting on the edge of the bed._

 _"Happy for you mate"_

 _"Cheers"_

 _End of Brax's flashback._

Coming to the top of the stairs, he nudged the door open with his shoulder and walked inside the room, sitting down on the bed, before climbing in to bed. He picked up the picture that Ricky kept of Casey's birth, taken minutes after Nate had placed him in her arms, Brax had tried to encourage her to get some rest, but she shook her head at him, she didn't care that she was tired and sore, she wanted a picture that she could treasure for ever. He put it down, before resting his hands behind his head, as he tried to sleep.

Over in the house next door, Bianca was coking Darcy a healthy meal, Heath had gone for a surf

Bianca walked in to Nathan's nursery as she finished making up Darcy's bed. It wasn't fair, the little boy should be in his cot, sleeping, surrounded by the teddy his angel brother had given him.

Heath pulled the covers back as him and Bianca got in, Heath placing the duvet over both of them as they held each other in their arms.

"It was nice seeing Nathan" Bianca said, with a smile.

"It was, " Heath stroked Bianca's hair. "We will get him back, Bee"

"Don't do anything stupid, Heath" Bianca warned her husband.

"I won't" Heath said, but Bianca knew that Heath wouldn't rest until their baby was back with them, even if that meant hurting his brother, which was something he didn't want to do, but he and his wife wanted their baby.

Brax meanwhile, stared, as Ricky headed upstairs. "You alright?"

"I feel better" Ricky whispered.

"Good" Brax stared at his partner for a few minutes.

"What?" Ricky asked, wondering if she had something on her face.

"You know you remind me of somone" Brax said, reaching out and twirling a strand of her hair around his finger.

"Who?"

"Bonnie Sveen. "

Ricky reached for her laptop and showing Brax a picture of her.

Brax studied the picture of her. "That's right."

Ricky scrolled down the page. "She's an Australian actress, "

"You look like her"

"Really?" She asked in disbelief, glancing at the picture again, punching him on the arm, but she was secretly thrilled by the compliment. Kissing the top of her head Brax closed his eyes, wondering if they were going to be awoken again.

* * *

 **Next chapter: Ricky and Brax go and see Maria, will it go as well as Brax hopes?**


	23. Chapter 23

**FrankElza: Thank you for the review and for looking this chapter over. The previous chapter was long and I'm glad you enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed going in to Ricky's mind. I love writing Brax when he is supportive of Ricky and vice versa, she is so focused on baby Nathan being hers.**

 **In Ricky's flashback, even though Casey is a baby in the story, in Ricky's flashback, he's 10.**

* * *

The Surrogacy. 

Chapter 23. 

"Are you ready?" Brax asked, walking in to the kitchen.

"You know I don't like talking about my feelings. " Ricky didn't look up from feeding baby Nathan. She was sat at the table, her hair in a messy bun to keep it off her face, her dressing gown on as she gave baby Nathan his bottle.

"You have another son in the living room, you know. " Brax said, irritably.

"I'll give Case his bottle once I've fed Nathan. "

But to Brax, this was another sign Ricky was more interested in baby Nathan, than her own baby son, they were both still little, they both needed her.

"Forget it, I'll feed him. Show that one parent still cares about him"

Ricky had to admit that hurt. She watched as Brax made up a bottle for little Case before taking it in to him, she heard him speak to their son.

"Come on, mate, take your bottle, like a big boy. "

Little Casey opened his mouth as he stared up at his dad, and Brax took the chance to pop the teat in to his mouth.

After Case had finished his bottle, Brax burped him and pulled a face at him. He carried him in to the kitchen where Ricky was just finishing off with Nathan. Handing Nathan to Brax, the mum nipped upstairs to get dressed. Opening her wardrobe, she pulled out a pair of jeans and a white top. She put on a pair of heels and left the room.

Are you ready?" Brax asked, once Ricky had come back down stairs.

Fine" she replied, there was no point trying to get out of this; she'd already tried.

"It won't be as bad as you think " Brax tried to reassure her as they left the house, Brax locking up as Ricky placed the car seats in to the back.

"I know" Ricky sighed, getting in to the passenger side.

Brax started the engine.

Maria who was the counsellor, was in her office, waiting for her patient. She had been briefed by Doctor Cooper on the patient. She had the things she needed on the desk. A pen, notepad and tissues in case the patient got upset during the session.

Brax pulled in to the car park of the building where the session was being held. She got the babies out of the back and started walking in to the building, Brax following her. She headed towards the reception desk.

"My name's Erica and I have an appointment." She told the receptionist.

"Take a seat and someone will be with you shortly. "

Ricky nodded and sat down in the waiting area.

A woman with brown hair come out of her office.

"Hi. " Maria introduced herself as she stuck out her hand. "I'm Maria. You must be Erica?"

The younger blonde woman stood up. "Yes, this is my partner Darryl and our son Casey " Ricky replied, following Maria.

"Have you ever been to a counselling session before?" Maria asked, sitting down on a chair behind her desk.

Brax and Ricky sat on the leather couch, little Casey between them, little Nathan was in his car seat on the floor.

"I haven't" Ricky shook her head, she hated to admit it, but she was feeling nervous.

"Everything you tell me will be in confidence. " Maria told her. "Except if you intend to harm yourself, your partner, or sons, then I have a duty to report it "

Ricky nodded, taking a deep breath as Maria asked her next question.

"What brings you here today?" Maria asked.

Ricky took another deep breath. "My friend expressed her desire to have a baby, but was reluctant as she lost her first child to cot death, so she asked me. I was unsure as I'd given birth to my son Casey, but after talking it through with Brax, I decided to go through with it, the procedure was successful and after falling down the stairs, I found out I was pregnant. "

"How did you feel about that?"

"I was excited, but I knew the baby wasn't mine, when it come to delivering I was nervous, but I knew I could get through it as I had Brax by my side, Bianca, and her husband, who is also Brax's brother were also with us. "

"Ricky likes everything to be in her control" Brax added as Ricky continued.

"I felt tired, but I knew it was normal, but then I felt strange as if I wasn't in control of what was happening as I lost consciousness. It wasn't supposed to happen!" She finished off, angrily.

Maria write something down in her pad. "How do you feel about loosing your uterus?"

"I'm angry" Ricky admitted. "It makes me feel like less of a woman,"

"Do you love your son?"

"I love Casey, of course I do, he's my little boy. " She took a deep breath. "I'm scared down the track Brax will resent me, for not being able to give him another kid"

"You and Case are enough for me" Brax spoke, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I hope you know that. "

But Ricky shrugged him off, still hurting from his earlier comment.

Maria watched the couple with interest. "What happened earlier?"

"He accused me of not caring about Casey. "

Little Casey grizzled as if he knew his mum was talking about him.

"Have you spend much time with Casey since Nathan came along?"

"Not much" And it was then, Ricky realised that made her sound like a bad mum, a tear trickled down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away.

"Then I suggest spending some time with him. " Maria said. "He might be feeling abandoned."

"He's not the only one" Brax muttered.

"I'm trying my best Brax!" Ricky yelled.

"Try harder" Brax snapped back.

"I'll book you another session" Maria told her, sensing they needed it.

"Thank you, " She whispered as little Casey grizzled and she bounced him on her knee, but Case continued to grizzle.

"Give him here" Brax held his arms out and took hold of him. Brax dug in the changing bag and give his son a toy. Before checking on little Nathan, who was awake. "Hey, little man" Brax spoke, as the little boy latched on to one of his fingers. Brax smiled, it reminded him of when little Casey grabbed on to one of his fingers in the delivery room.

"That wasn't too bad was it?" Brax asked, securing little Casey in to his car seat.

"OK" She answered.

"Do you want to go for a drink?" Brax asked.

Ricky shook her head. "I want to go home"

Brax nodded his head. "Of course"

Brax started the engine and drove home, parking in to the drive. She took the babies out of the back and walked up the path and walked in through the door, putting the car seats down on the couch in the living room.

"I'll give Case his bath" Brax spoke.

"Thanks " Ricky told him, getting little Nathan out and realising he'd dirtied his nappy. She stripped him of his baby - grow and nappy and cleaned his bottom, before noticing a red rash. She walked in to the kitchen, carrying a naked baby and reached for the baby cream and applying some to his bottom, as she got a clean nappy and slid it under him, before getting a fresh baby - grow and putting it on him.

"Is that better?" She cooed.

Baby Nathan looked at her and she kissed his forehead. She put him down.

While Brax was giving little Casey a bath, she could hear him laughing in the tub, and guessed that the little boy was splashing his dad with his rubber duck, she walked in to the kitchen. She pulled open one of the draws and picked up a knife. She rolled up her top and held the knife to her arm, hissing in pain as she dragged the knife across her arm.

"What the hell are you doing?" Brax's voice made his partner jump, as he entered the kitchen, holding little Casey in a fluffy towel.

"It helps. " She whimpered.

"Don't be stupid. You have children. "

Brax took the knife and held it to his own skin.

"Brax, don't, please" Ricky begged, tears in her eyes.

Brax chucked the knife in to the sink and without looking at her, held a clothe to the cuts.

"We should go and get these checked out"

Ricky shook her head, walking in to the hallway and in to the living room where she sat on the couch and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"I thought talking to someone would help, but, I don't know what made me do it" She whispered, her head hung low.

"Imagine if Casey had been older and walked in, finding you bleeding on the floor. "

"Stop!" She yelled it him, imaging it.

 _Ricky's Dream_

 _10 - year - old Casey, who had just been for a surf with Brax, walked in to the small flat, his parents still lived in. Casey was an only child, his parents has never had another child, after his mum's accident. He walked in in to the kitchen to get a drink when he yelled for his dad._

 _"Dad"_

 _"What is it, Case?"_

 _"I think it's mum. "_

 _Wondering what his son was on about, Brax walked in to the kitchen and swore when he saw his wife, who was lying on the floor, unconscious._

 _"Ricky, can you hear me?" Brax asked. When she gave no response that she could, he called an ambulance._

 _"What happened?" The paramedic, male, asked._

 _"I dunno" Casey answered for his dad, sounding and looking anxious. "She was just lying there when I walked in. "_

 _Brax squeezed his son's shoulder. "She'll be aright, mate" But Brax didn't know who he was trying to reassure: him or their son._

 _Casey hoped his dad was right as they watched a stretcher with Ricky on being taken out of the flat and loaded in to the ambulance._

 _Brax and Casey were at the hospital, both waiting anxiously on the woman that was so important to them. Finally, Nate come out to see them._

 _"Ricky's going to be admitted to the psych_ _ward where she can get some proper help and support"_

 _"Thanks doc " Brax nodded, but he was shaken that she could do this._

 _Ricky was sat in a wheelchair as a another doctor wheeled her out._

 _Casey got up and hugged his mother. "I love you mum" He told her._

 _Ricky stared at her son, blankly, as her husband squeezed her hand. "I love you too, Rick"_

 _Once settled on the ward, she was given medication, and locked in her room for the night. She just sat on the edge of the bed, feeling lost, and very alone._

 _She spoke to her counsellor the next day and admitted why she had cut herself when her husband and son were out of the house: She had seen Nathan, while out and about, in Yabbie Creek, but due to the restraining order that Heath and Bianca had taken out against her, she couldn't go near him._

 _End of Ricky's Dream. _

Ricky shook her head to herself, coming out of her imagination.

"I didn't mean to upset you, I just needed you to see. " Brax told her.

"I can't let Casey or Nathan see what I did. " She whimpered.

With more tears falling down her cheeks, "I found my mum's body when I was a teen. "

"What?" Brax asked, stunned, she'd kept this from him.

"It was just me and mum in Mangrove River. "

"I know that. " Brax nodded, he had lived a few doors down from her, she'd spend some time in his house, but made excuses when he asked to come round to hers, such as. "I have homework to do. " or "I have a shoot."

"After dad left us, he'd slept with another woman, she stopped paying the bills, I got a job, to try to support us, but I didn't earn much. One day, after work, I come home, to find mum bleeding on the kitchen floor. I dabbed a clothe on her wounds, but blood just soaked the clothe. I rang an ambulance and they took her away. I had no where to go, so I just stayed on my own for the night, until social services found out and took me in. I visited mum the next day, but she looked at me as if she didn't know who I was. "

Brax swore his heart broke as he looked at the woman he loved, who was now sobbing and wrapped her in a hug.

As if they could sense their mothers distress, the two babies began crying too.

"I'll go. " Brax said.

Ricky shook her head, heading up stairs.

"It's ok, mummy's here, " She whispered, picking up first little Nathan and then little Casey. She curled up in a ball on the bed, holding little Casey up in the air.

Brax lay on the bed beside her as she pressed her face in to his chest, him stroking her hair.

"Talk to me, or if you can't, your counsellor."

Ricky looked up at him. "I promise"

But deep down, he knew she'd break that promise and if had the potential to cause an even greater distance between them, than there already was.

"I'm sorry about before" Ricky whispered, surprising him.

"This is difficult for all of us, we just need to find a way to help each other through." Brax replied, suddenly sensing what Ricky was doing when he felt her lipss on his. "Ricky, no, it's still early. "

Ricky ran a hand through his hair. "Brax, it's ok"

But Brax pulled himself out of her way.

"This isn't the answer"

She got off the bed and went downstairs. She had just wanted to try to get back to normal, but nothing about this was normal. The cuts on her arms proved that. Folding her arms, she put her head down and sobbed.

* * *

 **Next chapter: Bianca and Heath visit Rocco's and Casey's grave.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Fanfiction. 79: Thank you for the review. I'm glad you thought the chapter was well - written. Things aren't improving for Ricky. Cutting isn't going to help her. Hopefully, she'll give baby Nathan up to the two people who want him, but she also needs help.**

 **FrankElza: Thank you for the review and for checking this chapter over. She is struggling, she desperately needs help. I'm glad you thought the beginning of the counselling sessions were written well, I enjoyed writing them. Enjoyed writing the little Casey and Brax scene. Loved writing Brax's statement to Ricky as well.**

* * *

The Surrogacy.

Chapter 24. 

Heath kissed Bianca on the cheek as he walked in to the kitchen the next morning to see Bianca preparing Darcy's school lunch, anything to keep her mind off baby Nathan.

She laughed; "What was that for?"

"Because I can"

"OK, who are you and what have you done with my husband?" Bianca asked.

"He's still here, I'm going to take Darcy to school and maybe we can visit Rocco and Casey?"

Bianca nodded, it had been a while since they'd visited their son.

At that moment, Darcy come down the stairs in her uniform.

"You look lovely Darcy. " Heath told her as he took in her wearing a grey skirt, white shirt and jumper, hair in a plait.

"Shut up dad" Darcy said as she rolled her eyes.

Bianca placed her hands on Darcy's shoulders and smiled. "Your dad's right. " Then, she had an idea. She reached for her phone and accessed her camera, before turning her phone to her husband and step daughter and taking a few pictures. After showing her husband and step daughter, she handed Darcy her lunch box as she put it in her school bag.

"Come on Darce, let's go. " Heath said, as he picked up his car keys, giving Bianca a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Have a good day Darcy" Bianca said as she heard the door open.

Bianca heard the car drive off the drive and made herself a cup of tea as she waited for her husband to come back. She put water in to the kettle and flicked it on, getting a mug, and a teabag, before dropping the teabag in to the mug and give it a stir. She walked in to the living room and sat on the couch, waiting for Heath to return.

After waving his daughter off at the school gates, Heath got back in to his car and started the engine, driving back to his wife. He walked in to the living room.

"Ready?"

"Yeah" Bianca smiled, getting up off the couch.

"What do you think Casey will think of all this?" Heath asked as they walked to the cemetery.

"I think he'll knock your heads together. " Bianca said.

"Your right, " Said Heath.

"I usually am" Bianca said, with a smirk, but that smirk, turned in to a sad smile as they reached Rocco's grave.

"Hey baby" Bianca whispered as she touched the stone that housed her beautiful boy. "Mummy and Daddy wanted to see you. "

"Hey mate" Heath added, as they both sat in silence, thinking of their lost boy. "Darcy goes in to year 8, today mate, you would have been proud of her. "

The two looked at each other before, heading over to Casey's grave.

"Hey mate. " Said Heath as he read the inscription on his stone.

 _"Casey Braxton._

 _Brother, son, and uncle._

 _Gone, but not forgotten. "_

Bianca placed her hand on Heath's arm, giving his arm a gentle squeeze.

Heath helped Bianca up and they left the cemetery, heading home.

Over in the Braxton house, Ricky was in the kitchen, sitting at the table, while Brax was trying to encourage her to get some air.

"Ricky, let's go outside, it's not good for your or the boys to be inside all the time. " Brax told her.

"You take Case, I'll stay with Nathan" She whispered, stroking the child's fingers.

"No, we are going together. " Brax said.

"Brax, I don't feel like it" She whispered.

"We all have to do things we don't feel like, I have to get up and go to work, I do it for us, to provide for our family. Heath works to provide, for his. " Brax informed her.

"You don't pay Heath" said Ricky, barely glancing at him.

"Come on, it'll do you good, get some colour in your cheeks"

"Fine" Handing Baby Nathan to Brax, she headed upstairs, muttering under her breath as she went. She opened her wardrobe and grabbed the nearest items, before throwing them on, she walked down the stairs.

"Isn't this nice?" Brax said as he pushed baby Casey's pram along. As the little boy started to whine, Brax bent down and undid his straps as he lifted him in to his arms. He lowered him on to the ground.

"Ricky, look." Brax nudged his partner, as their baby started to crawl.

"Isn't that nice" Marilyn said, as she noticed the couple.

"Ricky, that's a big milestone for him" Brax said.

"Next you'll get him out on a board, " She said, sarcastically.

"Well, surfing is in his blood, me and you both surf, " Brax told her, thinking back to the time, they'd been on the beach, they'd raced each other in the surf, and he'd slowed down, letting Ricky overtake him and later at the restaurant, he never heard the end of it, back at home, they'd shared a hot shower, he had to admit, he missed those days.

"I want to go home" Ricky said, quietly, her words muffled by the wind.

"Was it something I said?" Marilyn asked.

She's just struggling, " Brax answered as he shook his head, knowing what Marylin was like, she never liked to upset anyone. He put baby Casey back in to his pram, as he whined." I know, mate"

"Well, maybe I could help. " Marilyn suggested, as Brax started to push baby Casey's pram off the beach, towards their home.

"Go ahead" Brax said as he watched Marylin walk in to the house. Marilyn walked up the stairs and knock on the bedroom door.

"Come in, " Ricky mumbled.

"I know how your feeling, Ricky" Marylin told her, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"How can you possibly know? You haven't lost your uterus. " Ricky said, glancing at the older woman.

"But I did lose a child, a son with my ex -husband Donald. "

"I'm sorry." Ricky said quietly.

"Byron, his name was, a few months after his birth, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Donald and I had planned to go to America."

"But he died before you could?" Ricky guessed.

Marylin nodded, a lone tear slipping down her cheek.

"I love him too much to let him go. " Ricky sniffed, wiping her tears.

"I know darling, but maybe letting him go is showing that you love him" Marylin said as she stood up and left the younger blonde in peace, hoping she'd got through to her, if she couldn't open to her loved ones, hopefully she'd listen to her.

"I tried Brax" Marylin said as she walked down the stairs.

"Thanks Maz" Brax said as he held the door open for her.

Back upstairs, Ricky felt under her pillow for the knife and turned her arm around, looking for a space to release her emotions, but as she found a space, she could hear Brax's foot steps pounding the stairs. He pushed down on the door handle as she looked down at the knife, Brax stepped in to the room, seeing the blade as clear as anything.

Brax grasped the knife.

"Ricky, please, talk to me. " Brax pleaded, trying to get the knife out of her hand.

"Cuttings better" She whispered, not letting go.

"No, Rick, listen, you might think it is, but your just hurting yourself"

"I don't care"

"Well, I do care about you. " Brax told her. He needed to go and get some air. Ricky heard his footsteps head down as he opened the door.

"What's wrong?" Bianca asked, as she sat outside, marking some of her students work.

"Rick's cutting herself" Brax confided, knowing that Bianca wouldn't be the best person to confide in at the moment.

"Well, maybe it's what she deserves" Heath shrugged.

A wave of anger shot through Brax then and he grabbed his brother, pinning him up against the wall. "Maybe if you and Bianca hadn't asked her to do this, she wouldn't be a mess"

"Brax, let him go. " Bianca said, trying to get in between the two warring men.

"Everytime she sees you, it reminds her of what she lost in her surgery"

"If we had known how hard this would have been, we wouldn't have asked her. " Bianca said.

At least Bianca was acknowledging what an emotional mess her estranged best friend was, Brax thought to himself.

"And that's way she's keeping hold of Nathan. " Bianca guessed.

"You guessed correctly" Brax sighed. "Ever since he was born, it's been all about him, Case and I haven't got a look in, she even ignored him crawling on the beach today. "

"Maybe take her out for the night?" Bianca suggested. "It might help you two get the spark back"

"Yeah" Brax said as he let go of Heath, walked off and opened the door.

"Do you fancy a night out?" He asked as he walked in to the living room.

Ricky shrugged. "If you want "

"I want you to want it" Brax knelt down in front of her, moving a strand of hair out of her face.

"Don't touch me" Ricky snapped.

Brax raised his hands at her.

"You know what, Rick, I'm getting just a bit fed up of this. "

Ricky stared back at him, she was grieving the loss of her uterus.

"Help me. " She whispered, turning to face her partner.

"I've tried, it's like you don't want to be."

"I do. I've never had a baby for someone else, I'm lost, confused, scared. I keep thinking"

"What?" Brax asked.

"That if I did hand Nathan over, Heath and Bianca won't tell him where he come from"

"He came from his auntie Ricky" Brax said, patiently, although he felt like he'd had this conversation with her a few times.

"I'm his mother" Ricky said.

Brax shook his head.

"In the eyes of the law I am. "

"You aren't, I think your getting confused "

"Then, help me, " She whispered again.

"I will," Brax nodded, leaving the room and heading in to the kitchen.

"Nate, it's Brax" He said as the doctor picked up.

"What can I do for you, Brax?" The doctor asked, wondering why he was calling.

It was then, Brax said the hardest words of his life, hopeful that he could get her some help, when she got back, they could move on, happier and healthier in their future.

Nate nodded, in to the phone, promising that he'd be there first thing in the morning. As Brax ended the call, he walked back in to the living room, to see that Ricky had fallen asleep, he jogged up the stairs, grabbed a blanket and draped it around her. He then walked back upstairs to check on the two babies. Little Casey was wide awake, but Nathan was asleep and doing the one thing he knew he shouldn't, he took a picture of baby Nathan and sent it to off to his brother.

Heath, who'd just been to pick Darcy up from school, heard his phone beep in his pocket. He pulled it out. He put in his unlock code.

"Brax has sent us a picture of Nathan. " Heath called to his wife as he read the caption.

 _"Thought you might like this"_

In the picture, baby Nathan was asleep, his little hands by his face.

"He reminds me of Rocco" Said Bianca, then a scowl appeared on her face, shocking, Heath. "I hate the fact he isn't here with us. "

"He's just next door"

"With some woman, claiming to be his mum"

"That's your mate, your talking about" Heath said. "I think she's mentally ill."

Heath and Bianca looked at each other then, Bianca had, had post natal depression with Rocco, but she never suffered this badly.

"You could be right " Bianca mused.

Back over, at the Braxton house, Brax was sat at the kitchen table, the laptop open in front of him as he took a swig of his water, convinced he was doing the right thing by his partner. After closing down his laptop and walking in to the living room to see that his partner was asleep, bending down, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, before heading up the stairs to bed, hoping that he'd made the right decision.

* * *

 **Next chapter: As social services turn up at the Braxton house, Ricky fearing they'll take baby Nathan off her, how will she cope when Brax reveals they are actually here for her?**


End file.
